Belknap commissioners make second request for social services funding

LACONIA — County commissioners reaffirmed their request for budgetary appropriations to social services agencies serving Belknap at their meeting on Monday night. Commissioners received a negative response from Rep. Harry Bean (R-Gilford), chair of the county delegation, to their initial request for funding.

The county delegation comprises all of Belknap County’s representatives to the New Hampshire Statehouse. In finalizing the county budget at the end of March, representatives significantly reduced appropriations to outside agencies. 

At a meeting of the commission in early April, Commissioner Glen Waring (District 2) moved to request a meeting of the delegation to consider granting supplemental appropriations for the Belknap County Conservation District, the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Hampshire. 

Citing the language of RSA 24:14-a, Waring requested $130,000 for those three agencies. The RSA instructs the delegation to set a public meeting within 30 days of the delegation clerk’s — Rep. Juliet Harvey Bolia (R-Tilton) — delivery of the request to each member of the delegation, the chair of the selectboard in each of the county’s towns, to the mayor of the county’s cities and to the Secretary of State's Office.

“The convention shall schedule a public hearing on such appropriation to be held within 30 days of the mailing or delivery of said statement,” the RSA reads. “Notice of the date of said hearing and the date of the convention vote on the proposed appropriation shall accompany said statement.”

Following the April 8 meeting, when the motion to request supplemental appropriations was made, County Administrator Debra Shackett penned Bean, notifying him of the action taken by the commission.

“The Board of Commissioners requests that you hold a public hearing in accordance with RSA 24:14-a to consider a supplemental appropriation to restore funding to the UNH Extension Service, the Conservation District, and CASA,” her April 10 email reads in part. 

But the response to the request, provided by Bean, indicates no meeting will be set. In an apparently hand-delivered letter dated April 16, Bean writes to Peter Spanos (District 1), the chair of the county commission, acknowledging and denying the request.

“A meeting will not be set, as we find that the request does not meet the requirements of RSA 24:14-a,” Bean’s letter reads.

“We made a legal request, I think if the delegation’s going to decline, they need to give us a reason why they’re declining,” Commissioner Stephen Hodges (District 3) said Monday night.

There haven’t been any public meetings of the delegation since the commission moved to request supplemental appropriations, and the commissioners pointed that out in a letter, dated April 21, sent in response to Bean’s April 16 letter.

“You have not indicated how you concluded that the request does not meet the requirements of the statute. The plain language of the statute requires that 'The Clerk of the Convention shall deliver or mail ... a statement including the amount and purpose for which the money is required,'” the letter reads, in part. “Also, 'The Convention shall schedule a public hearing on such appropriation to be held within 30 days of the mailing of said statement.'”

Commissioners wrote they see no discrepancy with the statute and invoked RSA 24:9-c, which states the chair of the county convention or a majority of the of the convention — upon the written request of the county commissioners — shall call a further meeting of the county convention. 

“Please consider this a second request for you to convene a meeting to consider a supplemental appropriation," the letter continues. “As you may know, the public is very interested in this discussion.”

Spanos was not present at the commission meeting Monday night, but Commissioners Waring and Hodges approved the motion for the delegation to reconsider their original request. 

“I’m confused as to how one member of the delegation, although being the chair of the delegation, has or believes has the authority to decline a request from the board of commissioners to hold a meeting. I believe that authority would need to be with the majority of the delegation,” Waring said Monday night. 

Brian Beihl of Alton said he’s concerned about how the request played out, and suggested commissioners consult Belknap County Attorney Keith Cormier on the matter and the language of the law. 

“It seems to me that we’re back where we were two years ago, where meetings weren’t being noticed properly and there was just chaos,” Beihl said. “I applaud you for taking these steps to further find the path of the delegation, because it’s certainly odd if not downright obstinate. I support your actions tonight, I hope you get a satisfactory answer. We need to get a date, to find out when this is going to happen — in the meantime we’ve got programs dangling because there’s no decision being made.”

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify a letter sent April 21 was penned by the three Belknap County Commissioners, Peter Spanos (District 1), Glen Waring (District 2), and Stephen Hodges (District 3).