Four apply to be mayor, interviews Thursday

LACONIA — Four people applied to serve as interim mayor in the seat vacated by former Mayor Andrew Hosmer.

Hosmer resigned his position during the Aug. 25 meeting of the Laconia City Council and is set to start work as city manager in Lebanon this week. 

The city opened applications for an interim mayor through the end of the term, which concludes at the end of this calendar year. Four people applied by the end of the day on Aug. 28. Councilors are holding a special meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4, at City Hall downtown to review those applications and interview candidates. 

State Rep. Charlie St. Clair (D-Laconia) applied for the position, noting he’s a registered voter in the city and has lived at his current address since 2010. St. Clair cites 10 years of municipal service between the city’s Planning Board, Downtown Tax Increment Financing board and with the historic district commission.

“To fill in for the 4 months till [sic] the new mayor takes office,” St. Clair wrote on the application in response to a question asking why he is interested in serving. 

St. Clair sees the mayor's role as primarily moving city council meetings along, according to his application. 

Michael J. Seymour, former mayor of Laconia, also applied for the position. He wrote he’s a registered voter and has lived at his current address for 12 years, and notes that, in addition to serving as mayor, he also served as chair of the school board. 

“I genuinely love the City of Laconia,” he wrote in response to the question about why he is interested in filling the position. “While I have no interest in running for Mayor or City Council, I do want to insure [sic] a smooth transition until the newly elected officials take their seats in January of 2026. My experience could provide a seamless process, assisting the council and City management to bridge the gap to inauguration, without the need of a learning curve.”

Alexander Smeaton also applied, noting he’s a registered voter and has lived at his current address for two years. 

Smeaton works as a prosecutor in the Belknap County Attorney’s Office, according to his application, and he served on the budget committee in the City of Eastport, Maine, for six years, serving as chair and vice chair, prior to moving to New Hampshire. 

“I have many ideas for improvements to the city that could be started so that the incoming mayor would be in the best possible starting position, which would be my main objective as mayor,” Smeaton wrote, in part, in response to the question regarding interest in the position. 

And Matthew "Matty" Andrew Thomas applied for the interim appointment. He wrote he’s a registered voter and has lived at his current address for seven years. 

Thomas wrote he previously served as an “elected town member” in Massachusetts at the age of 18, serves on the Weirs Action Committee at present, and has a longstanding interest in civic governance. 

“As the youngest of eight I’ve learned lessons of independence and self-reliance,” Thomas wrote, in part, in response to the question of interest. “I feel these will bring a sense of purpose and strength to our community.”