Measure for direct election of Gunstock commissioners passes Senate

CONCORD — Members of the Gunstock Area Commission would be elected by the voters under a measure which passed the state Senate Thursday.

The resolution came in the form of a floor amendment offered by state Sen. Bob Guida who said the change would remove commissioners from the political influence of the Belknap County Delegation, many of whose members, he argued, are pursuing an agenda that is contrary to the best interest of the county-owned recreation facility.

“This (bill) would keep the delegation from interfering with the operation of Gunstock,” Guida told the Senate. He went on to tell the chamber that some current members of the delegation are “intent on privatizing the facility,” which, he said, was not in the best interest of Gunstock or the people of Belknap County.

Under the legislation that established the five-member Gunstock Area Commission in 1959, the commissioners are appointed for five-year terms by the County Delegation. The circumstances which have led to the naming of two new commissioners since the beginning of the year have generated considerable controversy.

Under the bill, the commissioners would be elected to six-year terms. This November’s election would fill any vacancy occurring this year or next. The November 2024 election would replace those commissioners whose terms expire in 2024 and 2025, and the 2026 election would replace the commissioner whose term expires in 2026. All subsequent elections would continue with the 2-2-1 sequence for commission seats up for election.

“This arrangement means that you could not have a complete turnover in the makeup of the commission in one election,” said Guida, whose district includes five of the 18 communities in Belknap County.

Guida offered his amendment as an appendage to a House bill extending the terms of elected county officers in Rockingham County from two years to four.

The Senate bill now goes to a committee of conference where it will need to be reconciled with the House's version.

Guida said he was “cautiously optimistic” that the House would look favorably on the bill as passed by the Senate. He noted that while there was some opposition to his proposal, the measure passed on a bi-partisan vote.

A request for comment from County Delegation Chair Mike Sylvia was not responded to Thursday afternoon.

County Commission Chair Peter Spanos said having the voters elect the Gunstock commissioners was appropriate.

"I think that the resumes of those wishing to serve on the commission would receive the appropriate amount of attention," he said.

While Guida told the Senate on Thursday that some on the delegation want to privatize Gunstock, the County Delegation unanimously said at its meeting Tuesday that it was opposed to selling the facility to a private entity, although it was open to the possibility of leasing it to a private firm.

Guida said under the measure the election of Gunstock commissioners would be non-partisan. He said this would insulate the commission from the influence political ideology can play in the election of state representatives who make up the County Delegation.

Because the filing period for this fall’s election is in June, Guida said that it would be essential to get the bill through the legislative process as soon as possible.

In arguing his proposal during the Senate session Thursday morning, Guida noted that two petitions contained a total of about 3,600 signatures of Belknap County residents opposed to the political leverage the County Delegation has been exerting on the Gunstock Commission in recent months.