To the editor:

Having just finished reading the article on the appointment of candidate Juan Carlos Payero to the Portsmouth Town Council, I couldn’t help but wonder the motive behind such an appointment. While I am not questioning the capabilities of Mr. Payero or any of the applicants, I note that nine people applied for this position, five of whom were running as candidates for the Portsmouth Town Council. The remaining four were citizens who had varying degrees of town involvement and would not be on the ballot in November. Would it not have been wiser to choose someone who would not be on the ballot to serve the balance of the term?

Additionally, as Councilman Hamilton noted, selecting Mr. Payero has left an unnecessary vacancy on the School Committee. It concerns me that the three members who voted for this appointment did not care much about leaving the School Committee in the lurch. I question the wisdom of those who voted in Payero to the council, especially knowing that there were other viable options.

Why would they do this? I have one theory. By appointing Mr. Payero, they gave him an added advantage in the upcoming primary as well as the general election. 

I am disappointed by this decision as it appears that the council is trying to handpick the next council member and to take the power from the voters in November. This is not how a democracy is supposed to work. Mr. Aguilar, Mr. Levesque, and Mr. Ryan, you have just created an unequal playing field for this upcoming election.  

Maria Rodriguez

75 Hummock Ave.

Portsmouth