The November 19, 2025 Select Board Meeting

Anne Blodget made the below remarks at the Select Board Meeting on 11/19/2025

Video link to the Meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV-tQhhULS8

Opening Comments 

Points supporting hiring third party for management/audit review, recommendations, and improvement plan for Town Government  

11.19.2025 at 6:30 at the Great Hall   

My name is Anne Blodget, a concerned citizen, 74-year summer and 15-year full-time resident. I have always loved it here, and it’s my real home. My background: I had a 35-year career in financial services and corporate risk management in NYC and Boston. For most of those years, I led teams of experts who pulled together and sought solutions for clients on a daily basis. We always had the clients’ best interests and long-term objectives in mind, and continuously sought the best way to help them navigate their future, cost-effectively. Managing and foreseeing risk was paramount. 

Since moving here, I have chaired two local non-profit boards and served on various town committees and commissions, including the Master Plan committee, the Town Manager interview process (where we recommended Becky Merrow), the Charrette, and the Heritage commission… to name a few. Currently, I’m on no town committees, nor am I running for office.

So here’s a pertinent definition of the word ‘town’ for tonight:

”A town can be a legal or geographic entity with a specific population, while 'community’ describes the social connections and shared life that exist within that entity. “

I say we are both. Tonight, we want to refocus on the community AND town we all care about. 

So let me start tonight by recognizing your hard work and service, and your endless hours of meetings. 

I want to assure you that this petition is intended to provide a path that benefits the Selectboard, town staff, and, most of all, the taxpayers. I think we all want to be proud of our town. There is a groundswell of those who care - many of your constituents and stakeholders say we can do better.

There is frustration, loss of confidence, and a sense that we can’t continue on the current path. We know you want this budget to pass, but in my opinion, our town needs help in rebuilding confidence as we look towards the future of Wolfeboro.

The good news is that people are concerned and care. Further good news, area stakeholders increasingly watch meetings, speak up, offer assistance, and volunteer, and that is all very powerful. 

Tonight, as a taxpayer and citizen involved with the growing organization, Citizens for Wolfeboro, I respectfully ask that you listen to the voices in the room, comments online at our Open Petition, and citizens’ observations. 

This people’s petition concept evolved over the last two years. This spring, Citizens for Wolfeboro decided now is the time for an ‘intervention’ of sorts. You also have heard from individuals standing right here, or you have received their written emails offering help, or course correction. 

After two default budgets, watching many inconclusive meetings, and seeing deteriorating town assets, it sure seems like this is the time for well-meaning citizens' concerns to be heard and taken seriously. Thus, we are seeking an objective look with outside help via the petition, which states: 

We the undersigned support a 2026 Warrant Article to hire a consulting firm to do an independent review and report of our town management, its operations, processes, efficiency, workplace culture and organizational structure. This report would include actionable recommendations for our town management. 

Since its grassroots non-partisan founding, 2.5 years ago, Citizens for Wolfeboro has been attending meetings, speaking up as individuals, and meeting together to try to demystify town government for fellow stakeholders. We provide weekly updates of upcoming meetings, and we have a website with resource information which is not easily found on the town website or elsewhere. The website and its blog was designed to be helpful to all. The value of the organization has grown, in light of the challenges we face with both old and new town websites and less press coverage. Our mission and meetings are open to all, and we have coalesced around how to help our town government be more transparent, more financially efficient, and more accountable to taxpayers and stakeholders.

…..

Thus the petition:

We the undersigned support a 2026 Warrant Article to hire a consulting firm to do an independent review and report of our town management, its operations, processes, efficiency, workplace culture and organizational structure. This report would include actionable recommendations for our town management. 

This was offered to stakeholders both on paper and online. 

Total: approx 225 and counting

….

These opening comments represent accumulated observations by Citizens for Wolfeboro and comments from the petition.  

Other citizens and stakeholders are invited to follow me to the mic with more examples and experiences. We have been listening to you and ask that you now listen to us!

As stated, increasing numbers are attending and watching town meetings on WCTV via YouTube. Awareness and concern are the recurring themes.  So here we go with those recurring themes:

Citizens are seeking:

• transparency and accountability

• efficient spending

• communication of critical issues, updates, and notice of hearings

• human resource management  

• Functional Select Board meetings with clear resolutions of ongoing issues

• articulated and defined decision-making processes

• equity in enforcement 

• A future vision of Wolfeboro tomorrow aligned with the Master Plan and citizen surveys 

In our town, we have dedicated and focused boards made up of volunteers. We have amazing non-profits that enrich and enhance our community. We have beautiful lakes and lands that need protecting. 

Tonight we are presenting a solution to help our town government get unstuck and match the excellence that surrounds us. We know we can do better. We see dysfunction and are bringing evidence and signatures to support this proposal to get outside help.

Citizens for Wolfeboro has been tracking specific subjects of concern over the last 2 years. Here they are listed as examples, or ongoing issues, in no particular order:

1. Asset management: lack of maintenance of infrastructure, assets and buildings in the recent past - the Library, the Pop, the Libby, and the Community Center. Also, the maintenance and management of town-listed responsibilities in the Master Plan, from beaches to roads.  

2. In a warrant article in 2023, Wolfeboro appropriated approximately $1 million in tax dollars to fix an E.Coli issue at Carry Beach. They did not, and still do not know the source of the pollution. The 1 million dollar project did not fix the problem. 

3. Implementation of the procurement & bid policy and process. 

4. Follow through on results and recommendations of the many committees.

5. Decision-making process and efficiency. Example: meetings on Dock leases. Community Center discussions, sidewalks, propane storage at Cate Park, crosswalk parking spaces, and so on. 

6. The Libby - the financial support opportunity from donors needed Selectboard endorsement and support of that Warrant Article. Opportunity was lost, and the trustees’ duty of care and maintenance of the facility and collections continued to decline.

7. For 4 years, there was solid documentation of the Planning Department's missteps, which finally resulted in an audit by an outside consultant.  There are still unaddressed items from that audit report. 

8. The Pop Whalen - a public/ private partnership funding shortfall was accepted by the Selectboard. Taxpayers were then on the hook. The public/ private partnership model successfully used in town in the past is now tainted. 

9. Main Street construction: project management, communication & process. 

10. Inequitable pricing of leases and other agreements for use of town assets.  Specifically, docks and buildings.

11. Inequity in enforcement of regulations. 

12. Need for a town engineer for infrastructure maintenance, storm water runoff mitigation, and to protect water quality. 

13. Communicate the water & sewer capacity report. Publishing of our water & sewer capacity is fundamental to planning for the future of Wolfeboro.

14. Smith River dam management in 2024

15. Recruitment, employee reviews, exit interviews, compensation equity, managing unfilled positions, and workplace culture. Give attention to proven HR best practices. 

16. Last year’s Assistant Town Manager position was instituted by the Selectboard, causing budget impact and a top-heavy management structure.

17. Improve communication and responses to constituents, as well as inter-department communication.

18. Website - new website poorly announced and launched. Needs a communication strategy to assist users. Develop a plan for fully populating the website. 

19. Usage of Warrant Articles to backfill budget reductions. Termed as Budget “engineering” for “optics”. 

20. Community TV defunded in the 2025 default budget. 

21. Master Plan adherence, follow-up, and implementation.

22. Funding of Chamber staffer and Chamber town calendar by taxpayers. Chambers are generally self-sustaining member organizations.

23. New Town Planner resignation after 3 months. Citizens want to hear: What did we learn? How will we rectify?

24. The Public Safety building project faced underfunded completion.

25. Overall: support departments in spending smarter, in better use of existing resources and assets, and in treating taxpayers like customers.