Nedeau takes lead on Collis's successor

Representative Stephen Nedeau (R-Meredith), who chairs the Belknap County Convention, said last week that the process for choosing a successor to Belknap County Sheriff Dan Collis will get underway this week, after he meets with Collis tomorrow.

Collis tendered his resignation, effective May 31, last week to accept a position with EMC Corporation, a data storage and information security firm headquartered inn Hopkinton, Massachusetts, managing event security around the world.

State law prescribes that in the event of a vacancy the county convention, consisting of the members of the House of Representatives elected from the county, appoints a sheriff to complete the unexpired term. The Belknap County Convention has 18 members, 14 Republicans and four Democrats.

Nedeau said that he wanted to meet with Collis, who has indicated that he intends to recommend someone to succeed him. "I certainly want to hear from Dan who he recommends," Nedeau said. Collis has declined comment, but there has been speculation that he will recommend his second-in-command, Lieutenant Chris Cost.

Nedeau said that he intends to consult with the executive committee of the convention or perhaps all the members before outlining the appointment process. He said "we could make an appointment or invite applications, hold interviews and then vote."

Recalling the flap over the secrecy that cloaked the process of choosing a county commissioner to complete the term of the late Gordon Bartlett, he said that "openness" would be a theme of the discussion in the convention. However, he said that any interviews would be closed to the general public.