CLAREMONT, NH — With the input from our followers on social media, the Eagle Times has devised a questionnaire for every candidate running for mayor, assistant mayor and city council in the coming election on Nov. 7. We intend to publish the candidate’s answers on Saturday, Oct. 28.
In devising our questions, we sought to avoid setting an agenda by asking questions about specific issues, unless they were specifically asked by our readers on social media and had a broad community application. Our goal is to allow those running for office to express what they believe the city’s priorities out to be and how they would address them. We wanted to avoid creating an agenda by asking specific questions that may or may not be of interest to the voting public.
While we have not imposed a word limit on any of the 10 questions we’ve asked, we have given the candidates a generous total word count for all of their answers. Again, our intent is to allow the candidates to express themselves as they see fit within the confines of the space we have made available. By asking every candidate the same questions, we believe we’re providing an equitable basis of comparison for voters to consider.
In addition to asking for bits of relevant personal, professional and community information, below are the questions the Eagle Times has sent to the candidates.
1. What do you believe are the top 3 issues facing Claremont?
2. What do you propose to address them?
3. Is Claremont headed in the right direction or the wrong direction? Please explain your answer.
4. How do you plan to engage the public, get its input on city matters and address those issues with the council?
5. How could city government be more transparent to the public it serves?
6. Do emergency responders need mental health training? If so, how should it be provided?
7. Businesses on Pleasant Street have not only had to contend with the COVID shutdown but also Pleasant Street’s construction shutdown. What, if anything, should Claremont do to assist businesses struggling to recover from these events?
8. What do you like about Claremont?
9. If you could wave a magic wand, what would you change about it?
10. What would you like voters to know about you?
We look forward to presenting their answers and welcome your responses to them in letters to the editor and on our social medial pages. We, of course, welcome your general commentary on the campaign in the coming days, the candidate’s answers notwithstanding.
— Richard H. Girard, Publisher
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.