By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

A vacancy in the state House of Representatives has forced selectmen in Weare and Goffstown to ponder whether to hold a mid-session special election, something for which neither board has budgeted this year.

Hillsborough District 7, representing the two towns, lost a member earlier this year as Rep. Steve Baines resigned when a new job required him to relocate.

Selectmen from both towns now have the option to petition the governor and executive council and request to elect a replacement. Officials from both towns said the cost of a primary and election would likely cost between $8,000 to $10,000 per town.

If no petition is created, Goffstown and Weare will have the option of voting in someone to fill the seat at the next election cycle, early next year.

“The inclination, not a unanimous one, of the (Goffstown) board has been to hold an election,” said Gossett McRae, chairman of the Goffstown Board of Selectmen.

McRae added that he hoped selectmen in both towns could collaborate, no matter what the decision, adding that both boards have attempted to reach each other, but there has been no formal discussion between them.

“We’ve both extended a hand and said, ‘Let’s talk,’ but that’s as far as we got,” he said.

Though Goffstown seems to favor an election, some Weare officials are concerned that the extra money isn’t worth the reward of having an added voice in the 400-member house, since election season is only months away.

“Our position is that we’re not really interested in filling that position until March,” said Weare Selectman Joseph Fiala. “I think our feeling was that being short one for a couple of months wasn’t going to have too much of an impact.”

Fiala said he’s spoken with several residents of both of Weare and Goffstown, none of whom seemed to favor the idea of an election.

Goffstown selectman and State Rep. Robert Wheeler, however, suggested full representation in the House is a matter of principle.

“In New Hampshire, each member represents about 3,000 people,” he said. “The only reason to have a 400-member house is to protect that property.”

Wheeler said many people see the first year of the House’s two-year cycle as most important, yet suggested that some important work has yet to be done.

Wheeler, a 13-year member of the House, added that, on average, one or two votes are decided by one vote per legislative session.

“My two cents is that you should have every vote count,” he said. Regarding the decision facing the two boards, Wheeler added, “It would be nice to get together and have a common decision so we’re not at odds.”

In 2002, the state restructured the districts, aligning Weare and Goffstown. Until then, each town had its own representation. Now of the seven representatives of District 7, only one, Neal Kurk, resides in Weare.

McRae stressed the significance of a local district voice.

“I don’t care if it’s a Democrat or a Republican, but it’s going to be somebody, I would hope, that’s going to represent the interests of our towns,” he said.