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Gilmanton selectmen appoint Brian Forst to fill one-year Select Board vacancy
Summary
After interviewing three candidates for a one-year Select Board vacancy, the board selected Brian Forst by a 2-0 vote. Forst cited Budget Committee experience; Mark Warren emphasized prior Selectmen experience and moving away from default budgets; Jonathan Field withdrew.
The Gilmanton Board of Selectmen voted 2-0 to appoint Brian Forst to fill a one-year Select Board term vacated by Selectman Collins.
During interviews, Mark Warren highlighted six years of prior service on the board, including five years as chairman, and urged efforts to move away from default budgets and increase the town’s valuation and tax base. Brian Forst emphasized his experience as chair of the Budget Committee and as a former selectman, stressing the need to provide strong leadership for current staff and warning that a default budget would force the board to make difficult decisions about service levels. Jonathan Field formally withdrew his name from consideration during the meeting.
Following the interviews and board discussion, Vice Chair Meredith Kelley moved to select Brian Forst to fill the vacant one-year term; Selectman Vincent A. Baiocchetti seconded the motion, which passed 2-0. The board did not record individual roll-call comments beyond the interview statements. Town Administrator Heather Carpenter noted the town provides training and support for new board members, including resources from the New Hampshire Municipal Association, relevant state statutes, and budget materials.
Forst’s appointment fills the one-year term; any change to a subsequent full three-year term was discussed by the candidate as contingent on future action.
