To the editor,

I am writing this letter in support of Paul Kesson who is a lifelong resident of Portsmouth and served on the 2010-2012 Portsmouth Town Council. Paul is seeking a second term on the Town Council in order to continue his service to the Town of Portsmouth.

Recently, local Democrats have subjected Republican Town Council candidates to unfounded criticism. Let’s examine the performance of Democrat councils of the past:

In 2006, Democrats led the charge for an outrageous 13.58 percent tax increase for school spending. A state agency later reduced the increase to 9.1 percent. Voters subsequently blocked it, but then the Democrat-led School Committee sued the taxpayers for $1 million.

Thanks to Democrat inaction, RIDEM mandated sewers for Island Park, where some of our most vulnerable residents live. A sewer hookup for typical Island Park resident was estimated at $60,000. The 2010-2012 Republican council reversed this Democrat plan and thus eliminated the onerous hookup charge.

Now the wind turbine nightmare. Again, Democrats, charged forward with a get-rich-quick scheme on the cheap. A $3 million wind turbine built to an uncertified design, assembled by an inexperienced foreign company, led to a quick and costly failure that has indentured the town to a third-party and a significant electricity rate for 25 years!

The town’s retiree healthcare, Other Post-Employment Benefit (OPEB), costs were allowed to grow unchecked for years by entrenched Democrats on the council. Currently our OPEB liability is estimated at $12 million. As with pensions, Democrats made commitments to our employees that our taxpayers simply could not afford. Instead, they set a whimsical Rate of Return (ROR) on investments even after the town’s actuarial reports repeatedly stated the ROR was unrealistic. 

During the 2010-2012 Portsmouth Town Council, Paul took part in changing the town’s professional hiring policy, helped stabilize the employee pension plan, restored the depleted fund balance and implemented a plan to pave our neglected roads. These actions and others enabled the town to achieve a triple-A bond rating! Paul can take pride in his voting record, making change when needed, addressing hard issues head on, and resolving them in the best interest of the town. 

Paul attended the Candidate Forum, sponsored by the Portsmouth Concerned Citizens, and stated his position on the real issues facing our community in the near future. The Democrats boycotted the event. I don’t recommend voting for anyone unwilling to discuss issues in an open forum with their opponents.

I urge you to support Paul Kesson and all of the other Republican candidates running for the Town Council. 

Robert Bledsoe

348 Windstone Drive

Portsmouth