CONCORD, N.H. — He’s been an alderman, a state senator, and the mayor of Manchester. And, for the last five years, Theodore “Ted” Gatsas has served on New Hampshire’s Executive Council, sometimes called the most important office you’ve never heard of.
Wednesday marked his last official Executive Council meeting, as he readies for retirement after a career of public service that’s spanned the last quarter-century.
“I’ve had a taste of all government in the state of New Hampshire,” Gatsas, 74, told reporters after Wednesday’s meeting. “And it’s been a great time.”
Gatsas said his political career began in 1999 as an alderman in Manchester. In 2000, he was first elected to the state Senate, where he served for a decade before becoming the mayor of New Hampshire’s largest city, a position he held for eight years.
After serving as mayor, he launched a successful bid for the Executive Council, earning a reputation as a fiscal conservative.
“How we spend our taxes is so precious to us, and he takes that very seriously,” said Governor Chris Sununu during a press event Wednesday.
Gatsas told reporters after the council meeting that his approach was, “Spend the money as if it was yours and it was mine.”
“There were things that I wouldn’t be spending my dollars on, and I don’t think we should be spending taxpayers’ dollars on just things that we could do without,” he said.
Gatsas has also become known as a staunch proponent of the new 4A Exit on Interstate 93 and a critic of sole-source contracts.
“The only problem I have with the governor and council is that there are too many sole-source contracts,” he said Wednesday. He said it’s unfair to those who would bid on the contracts if given the opportunity.
For Gatsas, being Manchester’s mayor was a highlight of his career, he said. “It was a place that you could pick up the phone and get a lot of things done for people,” he said.
Sununu described Gatsas as smart, honest, and blunt. Gatsas brought important expertise to the council on issues such as homelessness and addiction because of his experience serving as mayor, Sununu added.
A version of this story first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.