Selectmen need to work unlimited hours to keep up

To The Daily Sun,

I would like to respond to a letter written by James Dick, an appointed selectman in Sanbornton.

In my opinion, working fewer hours as a selectman — that is, meeting biweekly — is technically a raise in pay. The voters need weekly access to their select board. The reason for the summer (biweekly) meetings was started because of vacations for department heads, employees, townspeople and selectmen. There are examples showing that this schedule did not work well every week. In many cases, we continued with our regular weekly meeting to conduct business. I cannot believe that a select board can on a year-round basis conduct biweekly meetings and do the business of the people efficiently. Department heads are not required to attend every meeting as was implied. The only two department heads that tend to show up regularly are the police and fire chiefs.

Mr. Dick invited Mr. Whalen to walk a mile in his shoes. I would contend that Mr. Dick should walk a mile in Mr. Whalen’s shoes. Bill knows more about the town of Sanbornton than any two people that I know. He has served on several town boards and committees for many years and is a wealth of knowledge. As a selectman, you need to work an unlimited amount of hours each week just to know what’s happening to roads, culverts, trees, utility poles, and what’s happening with the residents. If you are not ready to make that commitment, you should not be a selectman.

Mr. Dick stated that he is not taking a stipend for his service on the board. I’d like to pose a question: Is that going to be reflected in the budget, and under this administrative decision, does that mean that now we will have only two paid selectmen going forward?

I spent 12 years serving the town. I know what it takes to be a selectman and even I could not walk a mile in Mr. Whalen’s shoes.

David Nickerson

Sanbornton