January 09, 2013 LANCASTER — District 2 Coös County Commissioner Tom Brady, a Republican of Jefferson starting his fourth term, was unanimously elected chairman of the three-member board of county commissioners at Wednesday's organizational meeting that followed a swearing-in ceremony conducted by Superior Court Judge Peter Bornstein.
Newly elected District 3 commissioner Rich Samson, a Republican of West Stewartstown, nominated Brady, and District 1 commissioner Paul Grenier, a Democrat of Berlin starting his fifth term, seconded the nomination.
Samson explained that as the "new kid on the block" he really did not want to nominate either man but had decided that having the commission chairman a Republican would balance having Rep. Robert Theberge, a Democrat of Berlin, chair the county delegation that is made up of seven Democrats and three Republicans. Grenier was elected vice chairman, and Samson, clerk.
Both longtime commissioners spoke at length about the importance of board members understanding that their only authority comes from board action with "a vote of two" and not as individuals.
All questions posed by individual commissioners are to go through the chairman, including requests for tours of facilities.
"I don't want to bring shame on the county," Grenier said. "We must adhere to the highest moral and ethical standards. We need to lead."
Grenier chaired the meeting in his holdover position as former vice chairman and did not step aside when the new chairman was elected. Brady will chair his first meeting this morning at a 9 p.m. meeting at the nursing home in West Stewartstown.
A special joint meeting of the commissioners and the county delegation is posted at 6 p.m. on Friday evening, Jan. 11, at the county nursing home in Berlin.
The commissioners agreed to submit mileage claims on a monthly basis and that the clerk would provide appropriate oversight.
Earlier county treasurer Fred King of Colebrook informed the commissioners that he had further revised a background report, now 40 pages long, on the reasons why the county is examining the question of whether or not it is in Coös County's best interest that more land be held by the federal government. Copies of the report are available, King said, at the county nursing home in West Stewartstown.
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