Opinion ID: 2745970
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Admission of Evidence by PELRB

Text: Finally, the Union argues that the PELRB exceeded its authority by allowing the Town to present evidence that was not presented to the arbitrator. At the hearing before the PELRB, the Union objected to the Town’s submission of the Town’s financial records that were made available to voters prior to voting each year. The Town argued that the exhibits were necessary to establish the public policy consideration underlying its objections to the arbitrator’s award because, from the Town’s perspective, the issue was not whether the Town had budgeted for the increases, but rather whether the public had been adequately warned and had given its approval to fund those increases. We need not address this issue because even if it was error for the PELRB to admit the additional evidence, reversal is not warranted inasmuch as the Union was not prejudiced by the error. Our holding that the Town was not required to pay the status quo step increases is not dependent upon whether the voters approved them with the full knowledge of their terms. Rather, because the status quo step increases were not the result of collective bargaining, the Town had no obligation to continue paying them, regardless of whether the voters had approved their funding. See Alton School Dist., 140 N.H. at 310-11; see also Laconia Patrolman Assoc., 164 N.H. at 557. Therefore, the additional evidence was irrelevant to the outcome of this case. Affirmed. DALIANIS, C.J., and HICKS, LYNN, and BASSETT, JJ., concurred. 10