Age: 50
Address:93 Roberts Hill Road
Years lived in Claremont: 50
Community organizations you belong to: Claremont Elks BPOE# 879, Knights of Columbus Father Cote Council 1820, Claremont Policy Committee
Employment: Local Small Business Partner/Retired Law Enforcement
Incumbent? If so, how many terms? Yes, served three terms, first being elected in 2017
What do you believe are the top 3 issues facing Claremont?
Road Infrastructure. Fair Market Housing Development. Business Development
What do you propose to address them?
Allocating more funds from the existing budget, seeking out any possible grants and loans and the use of special assessment taxes to not burden the smaller property owners.
Seeking out developers and granting special tax assessments for housing projects that don’t increase the tax burden in other areas. Supporting a Veterans Housing Project to supplement our housing stock is one of my top priorities once re-elected.
Seeking out viable businesses that are sustainable in our area of the state. Recently we have supported our very valuable OHRV Trail System, improving our local park areas. Additionally I would like to advocate for more restaurants and additional lodging or Airbnb options in our city.
Is Claremont headed in the right direction or the wrong direction? Please explain your answer.
Being a lifelong resident of Claremont, I believe we are finally heading in the right direction. As a community, we need to not only focus on bringing in new businesses, but also helping retain them in our community. We also need to address bringing in new housing projects, much like the old mill building renovations, and less on the nonprofit organization expansion.
How do you plan to engage the public, get its input on city matters and address those issues with the council?
Since first being elected in 2017, I have always made myself available at my business, by phone, email and social media. I always encourage constituents to reach out to me with concerns even if we disagree.
How could city government be more transparent to the public it serves?
Currently, all city meetings are open to the public, yet we have very low public attendance. City Council meetings can be viewed live on social media, they can be accessed on our local CCTV website and they are played on a schedule on our local channel. Many hot topic issues are often discussed on social media by our continuance.
Do emergency responders need mental health training? If so, how should it be provided?
Police officers currently receive mental health training at the NH Police Academy. The city of Claremont contracts with Golden Cross Ambulance Service. As a private entity, it would dictate what additional training their personnel should have.
I firmly believe firefighters must wear additional hats but how much can we ask of all of our first responders in these times?
Businesses on Pleasant St. 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?
During COVID, there were many federal loan programs available and many Claremont businesses did take advantage of these programs. I don’t believe the property owners of Claremont should be taxed to help support private businesses. That being said, while I don’t see a role in the city helping financially, we can help them by promoting new businesses and any events that might be taking place on Pleasant Street.
What do you like about Claremont?
Very simply, it’s home. I have been lucky enough to be a lifelong resident of Claremont, along with my parents and my grandparents. It is full of great businesses and even better people. I know there is a lot of work to do but I also appreciate how far our city has come in my lifetime and even more excited to see what it can become.
If you could wave a magic wand, what would you change about it?
Reducing the tax burden for taxpayers and improving our roads. This would help draw much more development into our community and make Claremont a popular destination.
What would you like voters to know about you?
I am a strong advocate for fiscal responsibility and government accountability. I believe in limited government and the importance of letting individuals and businesses thrive with as little interference as possible.
As a member of the Claremont City Council, I would work tirelessly to ensure that our tax dollars are spent wisely and efficiently, and I will always put the best interests of our citizens first.
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