Carroll County commissioners approve contracts, appoint school officials and move to nonpublic session

Carroll County commissioners on Feb. 3 approved multiple contracts, confirmed two school-board appointments and voted to enter a nonpublic session after the board was told the county's contracted chief financial officer intends to end her contract.

Commissioners voted to authorize contracts and agreements affecting county finance, inmate housing and water infrastructure, and approved the county's payment manifests for Feb. 3, 2025. The meeting included a public statement that the county's contracted CFO, Bonnie Batchelor of Batchelor Associates P.C., notified the county delegation on Jan. 29 that she intends to terminate her contract; commissioners said the county will seek to hire a full-time finance director to replace the contracted position.

The board frontloaded finance items at the meeting and approved routine and project contracts. On the manifest vote, commissioners approved an accounts payable manifest for Feb. 3, 2025, of $744,860.17 and a payroll manifest for Feb. 3, 2025, of $234,418.62. The board then approved a motion to award a county-owned box truck to Robert Stetson (motion carried). Commissioners also approved a revised contract to accept Stratford County inmates at a $50 per diem rate (up from $30), and they approved a final contract for a previously authorized water-system project, authorizing the chair to sign the contract documents.

At the meeting the board approved an engagement letter with Divine Development to underwrite tax-anticipation notes for Carroll County. Commissioners also confirmed two local school appointments: the board named Harold Parker chairperson of the school board and named Chuck McGee superintendent for the school district; both appointments were made by motion and approved by voice vote.

During the public-comment period a resident raised questions about the CFO contract and how the resignation was communicated; a commenter said the county paid $156,000 as the base contract amount in 2024 and an additional $10,937.68 for mileage and lodging, for a total of $166,937.68 last year. Commissioners said legal counsel would review the separation and transition and that the county intends to hire a full-time finance director instead of continuing the external contract.

Before adjourning the public portion, the board voted to enter nonpublic session under the referenced New Hampshire RSA provision cited at the meeting ("New Hampshire RSA 91 dash A colon 32" as read aloud), selecting exemptions for employee-related matters, reputation of non-board individuals, and legal advice; the board also voted to seal portions of the related nonpublic minutes as described on the record.

Votes at a glance: the meeting record shows the following board actions and outcomes as motioned and adopted by voice vote or roll call during the Feb. 3 session: approval of the Feb. 3 accounts payable manifest ($744,860.17) and payroll manifest ($234,418.62) — approved; award of a county box truck to Robert Stetson (amount on record in meeting notes) — approved; appointment of Harold Parker as school-board chair — approved; appointment of Chuck McGee as school superintendent — approved; approval of Stratford County inmate contract at $50 per diem — approved; approval of the water-system contract and authorization for the chair to sign — approved; engagement letter for tax-anticipation notes with Divine Development — approved; motion to enter nonpublic session under the statute cited and to seal specified minutes — approved.

The board scheduled its next meeting for the following Monday at 9:30 a.m., and recessed the public portion at about 9:49 a.m. before moving into nonpublic business.

PROVENANCE: Portions of this article summarize the public-record statements and motions made during the Feb. 3, 2025 Carroll County commissioners meeting. Topic-introductory transcript segments include the commissioners' announcement about the CFO contract intention (meeting transcript near timecode 00:03:29) and the public-comment figures on CFO payments (meeting transcript near timecode 00:18:26). The box truck award and related motions appear earlier in the public record (meeting transcript near timecode 00:02:59); contract approvals and the water-system discussion appear in the transcript between roughly 00:09:44 and 00:13:57; the motion to enter nonpublic session and the statutory citation are on the public record near 00:20:10.

No additional factual claims beyond what appears in the meeting record are made in this account.