Nashua alderman Cookson responds to criticism from colleagues, board president

NASHUA – A city alderman believes he was unfairly criticized in absentia at a budget review committee meeting last week. At a June 7 meeting, Alderman-at-Large Mark Cookson was criticized for failing to produce reports from a subcommittee of the Review and Comment Commission. Cookson didn’t attend the meeting, citing a family emergency. He learned of the discussion concerning him Sunday night. Cookson is the board’s liaison to the commission, which was criticized as a whole for failing to keep meeting minutes or an adequate documentation of its reasoning for awarding money to social service agencies. Some aldermen said the documentation is a hold-up in approving the fiscal 2013 budget. Especially unjust was  Alderman-at-Large Brian McCarthy, the board president, who defended Cookson’s critics, Cookson said. Cookson was the first to criticize other board members for not keeping the board abreast of the committees he was assigned to, and thus deserved the comments, McCarthy said. During the discussion, Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire said Cookson’s actions were a disservice to the commission. McCarthy’s decision to allow criticism of Cookson to continue “doesn’t show much leadership on his part, especially for a board president who touted civility at the beginning of his term,” Cookson said. McCarthy was not available for comment Monday. Cookson’s only point in past discussions was to remind liaisons of their responsibility to update the full board, Cookson said. The board receives only a handful of updates from the numerous boards and panels to which a liaison is assigned, he said. Cookson also noted he sent McCarthy and the city staff member assigned to the aldermen an email at 2:53 p.m.