Dick Burchell: Belknap Co. establishment has long shown lack of integrity & talent

To The Daily Sun,

As is his custom, Mr. Tardif makes interesting points in his letter to the editor concerning the Belknap County Commission. Their foray into the placement of the homeless at the former State School is low comedy and would not merit comment were it not for the illegality of their surreptitious meetings.

In 2014, .the County Delegation filed suit to end the discussion over its authority over the budget. As expected, the judge issued a preliminary verdict that the law said what it said. What he did not do was issue a final finding which then could have been appealed by the then county commissioners. The law firm representing the commissioners attempted to excite a final ruling by the judge but there was no concomitant push from the delegation. Time ran out for the old commissioners and when I was sworn into office as a commissioner, a motion was made to accept the judge's preliminary finding.

In the short term, this was good for the delegation yet I noted the willingness of the judge to bend rules. This fact became relevant when my two fellow commissioners illegally ousted me as chair of the commission in 2015. This same judge had no curiosity as to how the two commissioners could have so acted since it had not been discussed at a public meeting. Despite the fact that I had never been appointed to anything but rather was elected to my post, the judge ruled that a person appointed to an office could be dismissed from that same office.

This is a long but accurate way of establishing how corrupt Belknap County is, starting with its judicial system. The parochial legislative, judicial and business people who are prominent in the county are compromised by a lack of integrity and talent.

Dick Burchell

Gilmanton Iron Works