The City of Lebanon shall consist of three wards. All wards
shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory, as nearly equal
in population as possible, and such ward lines are to follow easily
identifiable physical features such as streets, railroad tracks, surface
waters or power lines.
At least as often as each recurring federal census, the City
Council shall review the ward boundaries and, if necessary to comply
with a Constitutional requirement to equalize populations, shall,
by ordinance, make adjustments to the City's ward boundaries. A public
hearing on the proposed ward boundaries shall be held not more than
30 days before adoption by the City Council, at such time and place
as the City Council shall determine. Notice of the public hearing
shall be published at least 10 days in advance of the hearing by the
City Clerk.
Until passage of an ordinance for future realignment of the
City's ward boundaries, ward lines shall remain as approved by the
voters of Lebanon on March 13, 2012. Notwithstanding any changes in
the ward boundaries, the City and Ward officers serving in office,
or elected to office, at the time of passage of this amendment shall
continue in said offices until the end of the terms for which they
were elected.
The three wards shall be divided as follows:
WARD 1 shall consist of all that land in said City of Lebanon
beginning at the southwest corner of the Lebanon-Plainfield line;
thence easterly along said boundary to Hibbard Brook; thence northerly
along said brook until its western tributary meets Poverty Lane; thence
northerly along said road to the intersection of Slayton Hill Road,
thence northeasterly along Slayton Hill Road to the intersection of
Farnum Hill Road; thence westerly along said road until it meets Old
Kings Highway; thence northwesterly along said road until it intersects
with power transmission lines; thence northwesterly along said power
lines until it intersects another set of power lines; thence turning
ninety (90) degrees and continuing northeasterly along the latter
power lines until it meets the Hanover/Lebanon boundary; thence westerly
along the Lebanon-Hanover line until it meets the New Hampshire-Vermont
boundary; thence southerly along said boundary to the point of beginning.
WARD 2 shall consist of all that land in said City of Lebanon
north of the Lebanon-Plainfield town line beginning at the Lebanon-Enfield
line at the intersection of Interstate 89; thence northwesterly along
I-89 until it meets Dartmouth College Highway; thence westerly along
Dartmouth College Highway until it intersects with Laplante Road;
thence southerly along Laplante Road until intersects with Meriden
Road (Rt 120); thence northerly along said center line until it merges
with School Street; thence continuing along the center line of School
Street; to the center line of Prospect Street; thence easterly along
said center line to the center line of Elm Street; thence northerly
along said center line to the center line of Bank Street; thence westerly
along said center line to the center line of East Park Street; thence
northerly along said center line to the center line of North Park
Street; thence westerly along said center line; and through the Lebanon
Mall until it merges with Hanover Street; thence northerly along the
center line of Hanover Street to the center line of I-89; thence continuing
northerly along Hanover Street Extension to the intersection of Heater
Road, thence northerly along Mt. Support Road until the intersection
of Rt 120; thence northerly to the Lebanon-Hanover boundary; thence
westerly along said boundary to where it meets eastern boundary of
Ward 1; thence easterly along the boundary of Ward 1 to the point
of beginning.
WARD 3 shall consist of all that land in said City of Lebanon
north of the Lebanon-Enfield town line beginning at the center line
of Interstate 89; thence northerly along said Lebanon-Enfield boundary
to the Lebanon-Hanover town line; thence westerly along said line
until it meets the northeast boundary of Ward 2; thence southerly
along the easterly boundary of Ward 2 to the point of beginning.
(Ward lines changed by Lebanon City Council on September 15,
1982, June 17, 1992, and March 8, 2005 and March 13, 2012)
[1]
Editor's Note: This amendment was adopted by voters on the
3-13-2012, to become effective 5-1-2012.
[Amended 11-2-1971, effective 4-l-1972]
Representatives to the general court from the city of Lebanon
shall be elected at large.
[Amended 3-14-1978; 3-11-1997]
The city election shall be held annually on the same date as
may be required by statute for the annual election of Lebanon School
District Officers, or, if none, on the second Tuesday of March. The
polls shall be open not earlier than six o'clock in the forenoon of
the day of the election nor later than eight o'clock in the evening,
and shall be open not less than four hours on a schedule as the City
Council shall determine at least thirty days prior to said election.
[Amended 11-6-1973]
The council consists of nine members, each with a two year term.
One member shall be elected annually from each ward by the voters
in the ward. One member shall be elected from the city at large in
odd numbered years and two members shall be elected from the city
at large in even numbered years. The term of office begins on the
third Wednesday after the city election at which the member is elected,
and ends two years from the date the term begins.
[Amended 3-14-1978; 11-16-2022]
Each ward shall at municipal elections choose by ballot a moderator,
clerk and three supervisors of the checklist who shall hold office
for two years and until their successors are elected and qualified.
Said supervisors shall perform all the duties required by law of selectpersons
of wards in cities and of supervisors of checklists in towns, and
for all purposes requiring such officers shall be considered and be
the selectpersons of their wards. No other selectpersons shall be
chosen. No person shall continue to perform as a ward official whose
name appears on the ballot for an office other than that of a ward
official.
[Amended 11-16-2022]
The selectpersons of the town of Lebanon shall within fourteen
days from the date of adoption of this act appoint a moderator, clerk
and three supervisors of the checklist and four inspectors of election
for each ward, which officers shall be residents of their respective
wards. Said supervisors shall act as and be selectpersons of their
respective wards for the purpose of calling the first ward meeting,
and shall call said meeting according to law. They shall seasonably
prepare checklists for their respective wards and perform all duties
respecting the same required by law. The supervisors of the checklist
in each ward shall fix the polling place therein and give notice thereof.
[Amended 3-4-1976; 11-16-2022]
The city clerk shall prepare the ballots to be used at the municipal
elections in form as nearly like the ones used in state biennial elections
as the requirements of this charter permit. The ballot shall contain
the names in alphabetical order without party designation of all who
file with the city clerk as candidates for councilor. Such filing
shall take place not before nine o'clock in the morning of the forty-second
day before the election nor later than five o'clock in the afternoon
of the twenty-eighth day before the election. Candidates shall pay
the city clerk a fee of one dollar except those on whose behalf a
petition shall have been filed by at least fifty qualified voters.
No name shall be printed on the ballot by reason of such petition
unless consent thereto is endorsed on the petition by the candidate
personally at the time that the petition is filed. Below the list
of names of candidates for councilor there shall be as many blank
spaces as there are councilors to be elected. The city clerk shall
have the same powers and duties with preference to municipal elections
as has the secretary of state with preference to general elections
so far as such powers and duties are not inconsistent herewith. In
the first instance, the town clerk shall have the same duties and
powers as are given under this charter to the city clerk.
[Amended 3-4-1976]
Persons who would be qualified voters in a biennial election
if held on the day of such municipal election shall be qualified voters
therein. Municipal elections thereunder shall be deemed elections
within the meaning of all general statutes, penal and otherwise, and
said statutes shall apply to municipal elections so far as consistent
with this chapter.
[Amended 3-8-1977]
Any legal voter of the city of Lebanon who is absent from the
city on the day of any regular or special municipal election, or who,
by reason of physical disability, is unable to vote in person at said
election, may vote at said election by so-called absentee ballot.
The provisions of state law, so far as applicable hereto and not inconsistent
herewith, shall apply to such absentee voting in the city, provided
that the city clerk shall prepare the forms and ballots for such voting
and said clerk shall also prepare the required instructions.
The qualified voters in each ward, at said election, shall give
in to the moderator their votes which shall be received, sorted, counted
and declared, and the ward clerk shall make a true and certified copy
of the record of the votes and said record, certified also by a majority
of the supervisors and the moderator, shall be delivered by the ward
clerk to the city clerk within twenty-four hours after the meeting.
All the ballots cast at a municipal election shall be kept by
the city clerk sealed for two months, and may be opened during said
two months after a request for a recount by any candidate voted for
at the election at which they were cast, upon order of any court or
the city council.
[Amended 3-4-1976]
The city council shall meet on the Thursday following the election
to canvass the votes. The city clerk shall lay before the council
the record of votes received in each ward for each person voted for
on the ballots. The council shall examine the record of votes, and
it shall declare the persons having the largest number of votes to
be elected as councilors and shall cause them to be notified of their
election.
[Amended 3-14-1978]
Upon request of any candidate for an elective office made within
seven days after the canvass, the council shall recount the ballots
cast in the election and hear and determine any contest on the ground
of fraud or misconduct therein. Decisions of the council in cases
of contested elections shall be final. Tie votes for any elective
office shall be resolved by lot in the manner that the council may
determine. In cases arising under this section the council shall have
the power to subpoena witnesses and compel the production of all pertinent
books, records and papers. Any amendment to the Charter which is carried
or lost by 1% or less of the vote shall be subject to an automatic
recount.
