Mike Bordes: Incorrect claims, misread statutes and personal resentment

To The Daily Sun,

Recent letters have relied on resentment and misinformation instead of facts. Richard Littlefield is the clearest example. He served one term in the Legislature, voters ended it, and he has never accepted that reality. He is still upset his God Pod idea was rejected and that taxpayer dollars will not be spent on it. That frustration has turned into a fixation on me that has nothing to do with city policy. It is the same unresolved bitterness that has followed him since voters moved on. Laconia let go. He didn’t. And Laconia deserves the truth, not recycled grudges.

I ran on accountability, transparency, and open government because that is what residents expect. That is why I recommended disbanding the Appointments Committee. It was the most direct way to restore public trust by returning interviews to the full council, in public, on the record. That was the life raft. It was cut. When the council rejected the most transparent option, changes became necessary to protect the integrity of the process.

Another writer claimed I lack authority to remove committee members I appoint. That is incorrect. Laconia’s Standing Rules state: “All appointments to these committees shall be the duty and responsibility of the Mayor.” When the rules assign exclusive appointment authority and place no limits on removal, the authority to remove is inherent. This has been standard practice here for decades.

A third claim accused me of violating RSA 91‑A by replying to an email. No deliberation occurred, no policy was discussed, and no decision was made. A constituent reached out because no councilor had responded to him for weeks. I used “reply all” to ask whether anyone had followed up. That is not a violation of RSA 91‑A.

These letters share the same pattern: incorrect claims, misread statutes, and personal resentment.

Rep. Mike Bordes

Laconia