Merrimack Town Council appoints Peter Albert to fill Tom Koenig seat until April election

The Merrimack Town Council appointed Peter Albert to fill the council seat vacated by Tom Koenig, voting by unanimous consent at a special meeting on Jan. 7. Albert will serve until the April 8, 2025 election, councilors said.

Councilors nominated two candidates earlier in the meeting — Randy Gordon and Peter Albert — after interviews held that evening. Councilor Andy nominated Randy Gordon; Councilor Andy explained the nomination by saying the council should "get more people involved in the community" but also acknowledged the timing made the choice difficult. Several councilors said the town’s budget proceedings, which begin the day after the meeting, weighed on their decisions.

The council discussed the trade-off between adding "new blood," as Councilor Andy put it, and selecting a person with existing council experience to help with immediate budget work. Councilor Jennifer and others said Albert’s prior service and familiarity with council and budget matters would allow him to begin work on the budget promptly. Councilor Mackenzie and Councilor Nancy Murphy said they supported Albert for that reason; Nancy Murphy seconded a motion for unanimous consent to appoint Albert.

After the motion and a second, the council took a voice vote; the presiding officer called for those in favor to say "aye," and the motion carried. The council then administered the oath of office to Peter Albert; during the swearing-in he recited the standard oath to uphold the laws of the state of New Hampshire and perform the duties of a member of the Merrimack Town Council.

Councilors and meeting participants encouraged both candidates to remain involved in town government and to consider running in the April election for the three open seats. The council president and other members noted multiple upcoming board and commission openings and said they would work to connect interested residents to those opportunities.

The appointment was made under the town charter procedure the council cited during the meeting; the council did not record a roll-call tally in the minutes beyond the unanimous voice approval at the meeting.

Votes at a glance: - Motion for unanimous consent to appoint Peter Albert to fill Tom Koenig’s vacancy until the April 8, 2025 election — Seconded by Nancy Murphy; outcome: approved by voice vote (unanimous consent declared by presiding officer).

The council adjourned after brief closing remarks and a reminder about the budget schedule beginning the following day.