Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legal Prosecutor Appointment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Portsmouth council appoints Zangari as town prosecutor after three rounds of votes
Summary
After interviews of five candidates and multiple votes, the Portsmouth Town Council appointed attorney Zangari as town prosecutor in a 4–3 vote. Earlier motions to hire Frank Holbrook and to retain a private firm failed.
The Portsmouth Town Council voted 4–3 to appoint attorney Mister Zangari as the town prosecutor after three contested rounds of voting.
Councilors had interviewed five candidates, narrowed the field to three and discussed offers in executive session before public votes. An initial motion to hire Frank Holbrook failed 3–4, and a later motion to retain the law firm McCormick and Bell (also referenced in the meeting as Bellefontaine and McCormick) failed 4–3, leaving Zangari as the final nominee.
The debate centered on the candidates’ local ties, experience and cost. Councilor Gleeson said he would support a different candidate and declined to vote for Holbrook. Councilor McDowell said she would not back Holbrook because he holds multiple on-island positions and “he’s just too connected,” a point echoed by other members who favored an off-island attorney to avoid perceived conflicts or scheduling burdens. By contrast, Councilor Feijaro argued Holbrook brings “institutional knowledge” and familiarity with the island’s courts and police that would aid transition from a long-serving prosecutor. Councilor Miguel and others raised preparedness and price concerns about the private firms under consideration.
After Zangari’s nomination passed 4–3, council members asked staff to draft a contract and include an out clause allowing either party to terminate the agreement; the council president said such terms can be added when the contract is drafted.
Background and process: councilors said they held interviews of five candidates last week, narrowed the field to three, and reviewed final offers in executive session before the public votes. The meeting record indicates the executive session produced no votes. The council did not publish individual roll-call votes by name in the transcript; outcomes were recorded as counts.
What’s next: staff were instructed to begin contract negotiations with Zangari and to coordinate the contract with the town solicitor; councilors said they would include termination language in the contract if appropriate.
