Controversial county budget survives as reconsideration effort fails

Just a few of the nearly 60 citizens who were at the county complex Tuesday night in hopes that the Belknap County Delegation would reconsider the county budget and restore funding to county departments and social and civic agencies. Their hopes were dashed when the delegation failed to muster a quorum and could not conduct business. See story page 7. (Michael Kitch/Laconia Daily Sun)

By MICHAEL KITCH, LACONIA DAILY SUN

LACONIA — Failing to muster a quorum on Tuesday night, dissident members of the Belknap County Delegation seeking to reconsider the 2017 county budget were unable to conduct business, ensuring that the controversial budget adopted by a nine-to-six vote earlier this month will take effect at midnight on Friday.

A crowd of more 60 filled the seats and lined the walls of the meeting room, in the expectation that at least nine members would attend the meeting, elect a chairman pro-tem and proceed to reconsider the budget. Many represented local nonprofit agencies that provide social, economic, mental health, substance abuse and environmental services to the county and rely on the county for a share of their operating budgets.

The meeting, which was scheduled in February, was cancelled by Rep. Herb Vadney (R-Meredith) on Friday evening in an effort to forestall attempts to restore funding stripped from the budgets of the Sheriff's Department, Corrections Department and contingency account as well as to address revenues from sources other than property taxes included in the budget by unlike to be forthcoming.

Six of the 17 members of the delegation were present: Reps. Tim Lang (R-Sanbornton), Peter Spanos (R-Laconia), Don Flanders (R-Laconia), Dennis Fields (R-Sanbornton), Valerie Fraser (R-New Hampton) and Dave Huot (D-Laconia) They were joined by the three County Commissioners — Dave DeVoy, the chairman of the commission, Hunter Taylor and Glen Waring.

Apart from Vadney, the other absentees, all Republicans, were Reps. Marc Abear of Meredith, Glen Aldrich and Norm Silber of Gilford, Jon Plumer and Michael Sylvia of Belmont, Michael Maloney of Gilmanton, Ray Howard and Peter Varney of Alton, Robert Fisher of Laconia and Barbara Comtois of Barnstead. Several members of the delegation reported that Vadney, after canceling the meeting, dissuaded their colleagues from responding to appeals to attend and encouraged them to stay away.

A full report of what did take place will appear in tomorrow's edition of The Laconia Daily Sun.

People crowded the meeting room at the county complex Tuesday evening, but there was no quorum, forcing the reconsideration of the Belknap County budget to fail.

(Michael Kitch/Laconia Daily Sun)