Carlos Brown

Date: February 10, 2026 Subject: OPPOSE HB 1214 – Relative to public libraries Chairman and Members of the Committee, My name is Carlos-Luis Brown and I am a resident and voter in Chester. I am writing to urge you to report HB 1214 as Inexpedient to Legislate. As a constituent, I find this bill to be a solution in search of a problem. Currently, our Library Trustees are directly accountable to the taxpayers through local elections. We, the voters, choose them to steward our library’s resources, staff, and mission. HB 1214 proposes an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy that would allow a municipality’s governing body to strip these elected officials of their authority, effectively silencing the specific choice of the voters. I oppose this bill for three primary reasons: Redundant Bureaucracy Why create a legislative mechanism for the Selectboard to manage a department that is already managed efficiently by an elected board? Adding this layer does not improve service; it only complicates the chain of command. Erosion of Voter Intent When I vote for a Library Trustee, I am delegating governance to that individual. This bill allows a different governing body to relegate those elected officials to a mere "advisory" role, essentially nullifying the results of our local elections. Preservation of Independence New Hampshire’s libraries have thrived because they are independent. This independence ensures that library management remains focused on the needs of the community and the integrity of the collection, rather than the shifting political priorities of a Selectboard or City Council. Our current system of elected Trustees works. It is transparent, it is local, and it is direct. Please do not complicate our local governance with the provisions of HB 1214. Thank you for your time and for your service to our state. Sincerely, Carlos-Luis Brown Chester, NH