Selectman Eaton Resigns. New Allegation Against Selectman Bartlett.

Selectman Tiler Eaton Resigns

The agenda for the Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Monday, May 1 says there is a vacancy on the board. Nottingham’s Supervisor of the Checklist, Dee-Ann Decker, said on Facebook that the resignation came from Tiler Eaton. Under state law the board will elect a replacement to serve until the next election.

Of the 12 Board of Selectmen meetings this year, Tiler Eaton has missed 5. Ben Bartlett has missed 2 and arrived late for 2 others. No other Selectman has missed a meeting this year.

Selectmen marked absent or late to Board of Selectmen meetings in 2023:

·         April 17 Eaton

·         April 3 Eaton

·         March 28 Bartlett

·         March 23 Eaton

·         March 20 Eaton

·         February 27 Bartlett, Eaton

·         February 6

·         January 30

·         January 24

·         January 16 Bartlett arrived 45 minutes late

·         January 9

·         January 3 Bartlett arrived 50 minutes late

New Allegation Against Selectman Ben Bartlett

Following the disclosure in the Boston Globe that Ben Bartlett was a full-time employee of the Veterans Administration making it a violation of the Hatch Act for him to have run for and served in the NH House, a reader wrote to me to point out that Nottingham has granted Ben Bartlett a $4,000 per year property tax credit due to having a “total and permanent service-connected disability” as certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. This credit appears on his most recent tax invoice and on invoices going back to July 2019. (The additional $750 tax credit on the most recent invoice appears to be the standard credit for being a veteran.)

The reader asks how can someone simultaneously be qualified for a tax credit for being totally disabled while at the same time being employed full time by the Veterans Administration, running a landscaping business, having a part-time job as Selectman, and, until last week, serving in the New Hampshire legislature?

I also wonder how someone could be declared by the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs to be totally disabled while being employed full time by the Veterans Administration since 2014. Do these government agencies not communicate with other? Or is there something about this disability certification that defies common sense? Or did the reader who sent me the tip err in assuming that the tax credit was for Ben Bartlett? It could be for Ben Bartlett’s wife who is co-owner of the property.

The provisions of RSA 72:35 may be relevant to this situation. The Board of Selectmen has the authority to reject the disability certification if they have evidence to the contrary.

“Any person applying for the standard or optional tax credit under this section shall furnish to the assessors or selectmen certification from the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs that the applicant is rated totally and permanently disabled from service connection. The assessors or selectmen shall accept such certification as conclusive on the question of disability unless they have specific contrary evidence and the applicant, or the applicant's representative, has had a reasonable opportunity to review and rebut that evidence. The applicant shall also be afforded a reasonable opportunity to submit additional evidence on the question of disability.”

Social Media Support Group Formed for the Vilchocks

A Facebook group has been created for supporters of Fire Chief Jaye Vilchock and his wife, Fire Lieutenant Sandy Vilchock. Concerns have been increasing about the decision of the Board of Selectmen to put both of them on paid administrative leave on March 23 due to allegations against the Fire Chief, who has yet to be informed of what those allegations are or who his accuser is. The group already has 139 members.