Rep. Mike Sylvia resigns as county delegation chair

LACONIA — Rep. Mike Sylvia resigned his post as chair of the Belknap County Delegation at Thursday morning’s delegation meeting. Rep. Barbara Comtois of Barnstead subsequently resigned as clerk. 

The delegation voted Rep. Harry Bean of Gilford to succeed Sylvia as chair and Rep. Juliet Harvey-Bolia of Sanbonton to be the new clerk.

Sylvia, who represents Belmont, resigned during discussion of the Aug. 1 delegation meeting, which he did not attend and claims was illegally called. At the meeting, 10 members of the delegation approved a new member of the Gunstock Area Commission and accepted a verbal commitment to resign from Dr. David Strang, bringing about the return of Gunstock’s management team, who had previously resigned and agreed to return only after the departure of Strang. 

Per a motion by Rep. Tim Lang of Sanbornton, the meeting’s agenda had been amended to include approval of the Aug. 1 meeting minutes as well as ratification of the actions taken at that meeting. It was during discussion of those minutes that Sylvia resigned.

“It was not properly called; it was not actually a meeting,” Sylvia said. “As such, frankly, I believe that this delegation needs to be led by someone other than myself and so I am stepping down as chair.” 

The delegation, after voting Bean as chair, voted to approve the minutes and ratify the actions taken at the Aug. 1 emergency meeting. 

Later in the meeting, Lang was voted in as vice chair of the delegation in a close vote against Rep. Gregg Hough of Laconia. 

More coverage to follow.