Political motives alleged in governor’s spending plan

LACONIA — Gov. Chris Sununu’s budget contains a smorgasbord of items for communities across the state, including $3.8 million for Laconia projects, but representatives say much of this money is not likely to make it through the Democratically controlled legislature.

Rep. David Huot, D-Laconia, said some of the Republican governor’s promised spending was merely a political exercise.

“It’s 100 percent political,” Huot said. “The governor is either running for re-election, or running for the Senate, or something. He’s looking to do stuff that will gain him political points in various parts of the state and help politicians of his party gain favor as well.”

Last month, Sununu’s office emailed newspaper editors to let them know of projects in their areas that were funded in his budget and would be included in House Bill 2.

In an email to The Laconia Daily Sun on Feb. 22, five areas of local spending were mentioned along with a quote from the governor thanking two of the area’s Republican lawmakers, Rep. Peter Spanos and Sen. Harold French, for working with his office to “identify key areas of need in Laconia.”

Spanos wants to succeed Mayor Ed Engler, who is not running for re-election this year.

“My budget makes strategic, fiscally responsible investments that will serve to strengthen New Hampshire communities,” Sununu said in the email announcing the funding for local projects. “It is thanks to our strategic fiscal management that we are able to invest these funds into the betterment of cities and towns across the Granite State.”

The governor’s office did not return a call for comment on Monday.

One of the Laconia items, $1.5 million for purchase and renovation of the bottom floor of the city’s downtown parking garage, doesn’t deserve to be funded, Huot said.

The City Council has not decided yet what it intends to do with the garage, which has structural problems and leaks into stores in the privately owned ground floor.

“When we have thousands of unmet needs across the state, we can’t afford to have $1.5 million set aside in case someone decides to do something,” Huot said. “I would need input from those involved.”

HB2 is now being considered by the House Finance Committee. Huot is vice chairman of the committee and Spanos is a member of the panel.

Spanos said he has been told by committee leaders that the money for the garage and $1.7 million for the Lakeshore Redevelopment Planning Commission, which is tasked with finding an economic development use for the old Laconia State School property, will be removed from the bill.

He said he also assumes three other Laconia items will be removed, a $460,000 grant to rebuild a portion of the Weirs Beach boardwalk, $100,000 for improvements to the Gale Avenue waterfront and $80,000 to repair a city skatepark.

Spanos said these items were included after consultation with local officials and that they all are worthy of state money.

“A helping hand was extended by Gov. Sununu,” Spanos said. “I would like to see it accepted.”

Huot said he supports funding for the commission planning the future of the old State School property.

Mayor Engler also said that’s important.

“I hope the $1.7 million the governor has recommended for funding the Lakeshore Redevelopment Planning Commission does not become a victim of partisanship,” he said.

He also said the state could best help municipalities if it restored to 35 percent its contribution to the New Hampshire Retirement System. That support has been reduced to zero.

The bill including Sununu’s proposed spending includes $10 million for fraud victims of Financial Resources Mortgage, which was based in Meredith. A separate piece of legislation – HB 168 – also seeks to set aside $10 million for FRM victims. The latter bill is co-sponsored by French and his Senate colleague, Robert Giuda, though no House members from Belknap County signed on as co-sponsors. 

One of those House members, Rep. Harry Bean, R-Gilford, said he hopes this funding is approved. He said 200 families lost more than $30 million in a Ponzi scheme.

Bean, who lost nearly $2 million himself, said state officials knew of 79 violations of state and federal law as part of the scam, but never shut it down.

“It has become obvious the government did not do its job,” he said.

Among other things, the Sununu budget bill includes $1.5 million for a whitewater park in Franklin, $300,000 to fix a 1-mile section of road in Berlin and nearly $1 million for Conway projects, include fixing an intersection where a fatal accident occurred and moving a rec center into Kennett Middle School.

Also, the Eagle Times reported that Sununu is proposing to spend $250,000 for energy efficiency upgrades to the Claremont Visitors Center, the Arrowhead Lodge and various sidewalk and drainage repairs.

In his budget address on Feb. 14, Sununu said his spending plan for the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years is devoted to creating jobs.

“As we move forward, we cannot let the budget process be hijacked with politically charged agendas or partisan maneuvering,” he said.

“The voters of New Hampshire did not send us to Concord to engage in the circus-like theatrics of Washington, D.C.”