Carroll County Commissioner Matthew Plache resigns

OSSIPEE — Carroll County Commissioner Matthew Plache (R-Wolfeboro) said Thursday he is resigning from the board effective May 15.

In November, Plache was re-elected to the board to represent District 3 (Brookfield, Eaton, Effingham, Freedom, Wakefield and Wolfeboro) for the next four years. He was challenged by Democrat Theresa Swanick (D-Effingham).

At Thursday’s meeting, he said, “This is something that’s been on my mind for a few weeks. I’m going to be resigning effective, May 15. I feel this is the right decision for me personally.”

Plache said the legislative delegation has time to look for another commissioner. That group of 15 state representatives approves county budgets and fills seats vacated by resignation.

Plache noted that the county recently completed its budget cycle and had also successfully negotiated a nursing home union contract that will provide significant salary increases. The county also is now considering developing hundreds of acres of land for projects like affordable housing.

“I think this is a good time for me to pursue some other things that I want to do in my life,” said Plache, saying he has enjoyed being a commissioner and working with Treasurer Joe Costello, commissioners’ chair Terry McCarthy (R-North Conway) and Commissioner Kim Tessari (R-Ossipee).

“I feel we’ve got some great department heads here, and the county’s really on good footing,” he said.

Following Plache’s announcement, Fred Cain of Wolfeboro, whose wife, Patti was let go from Mountain View Community nursing home after 12 years, asked again why she was terminated, saying prior explanations didn’t make sense.

Plache said Cain’s position was cut when preparing the 2023 budget when commissioners were looking at giving the union employees a “massive raise.” Plache said the public’s ire is caused by misinformation on social media and the newspapers.

“A lot of what’s gone on over the past few months has been hurtful to the nursing home,” said Plache.

Asked about his resignation by a reporter, Plache, an attorney hired as a consultant for a broadband committee that got funds for his hiring from the county commissioners’ board, said the Sun should focus on the raise the union nursing home employees will be getting. He said it will be a $2.50 increase on top of what the staffers were getting before.

"We just approved and the delegation approved the biggest increase ever for the for the union employees in the nursing home," said Plache. "So, we've been working on this for months behind the scenes, because we can't talk about it publicly when we're in negotiations. But this is something we wanted to do. It's done."

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