Age: 46
Address: 3 Princeton St, Claremont, NH 03743
Years lived in Claremont: 46
Community organizations you belong to: Many over the years. Currently, Claremont City Council, Claremont Planning Board, Call Firefighter LT for Claremont Fire Department, Firefighter Weathersfield, VT.
Employment: Co-Owner Time-Out Americana Grill, Blackbeard’s Cove Adventure Golf, Escape Factory. Residential Landlord, Call LT. Claremont Fire Department and NH/VT location scout and producer for various TV and film productions.
Office sought: Claremont City Councilor At-Large
Incumbent? If so, how many terms? Yes, 7, 2-year consecutive terms. 14 years total.
What do you believe are the top 3 issues facing Claremont?
Lack of housing, tax burden and the lack of citizen engagement.
What do you propose to address them?
I have been vocal about becoming a leader community in tackling the lack of housing. We don’t need to sit back and follow someone else’s lead. My voice on the planning board, via my council seat, has fought for streamlined approaches to development and the removal of some overbearing red tape.
We need to watch our spending while also encouraging new development to increase our tax base, all without pushing people out of their homes. We have to keep an eye on two budgets – one for the city and one for the schools – both funded by the same people: you and me. We can’t overburden hardworking folks with unnecessary expenses but can responsibly fund what our community needs.
Is Claremont headed in the right direction or the wrong direction?
Claremont is headed in the right direction. We spent a decade plus playing catch up for things that went unrepaired, unfunded and left to rot. When I was a teen, the city took the approach of never raising funds to make necessary investments for the future, leaving, at one point, $4,000.00 total in the city’s coffers. The road to recovery has been long and don’t think for a second I take any council decision lightly as I know what the lasting effect can be.
How do you plan to engage the public, get its input on city matters and address those issues with the council?
My email inbox. People stop to visit and speak to me at work and home. I get regular phone calls from people. I haven’t let being in office change who I am. I am still the friendly neighbor you can talk to about your concerns.
How could city government be more transparent to the public it serves?
I have been critical of the website we currently have and have pushed to have that addressed immediately. That is the gateway to all things city related and is the hardest thing to navigate. Meetings, minutes and factual information about upcoming issues need to be in front of citizens’ faces.
Do emergency responders need mental health training? If so, how should it be provided
Yes, and they do have the ability to receive it. Departments do access those resources. There should be more of those programs available.
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?
There were programs available throughout the COVID shutdown that were available to assist. Many of the businesses utilized those and I was a vocal driver behind getting those messages out. There are currently funds available to those businesses via ARPA funds set aside by the city. Those funds have been targeted to those businesses and are only available to businesses downtown.
What do you like about Claremont?
Everything. I am 4th generation. I love the people, the kindness, the compassion.
If you could wave a magic wand, what would you change about it?
When I was a teen, decisions were made by past governing bodies that ended up in litigation and bond payments. The Great Lakes lawsuit is one. That, and the city thought process of then keeping taxes low by not investing in the future or repairing what we own. I was too young to care about those things as a kid but I am reminded that decisions matter and can harm a community for decades to come.
What would you like voters to know about you?
My experience on boards and commissions has given me a good understanding of how things work around here and I’m not afraid to speak up and do the research to make sure your voice is heard. During my time in office, I pushed for the city to accept credit cards, making things more convenient for our businesses and residents. I also played a part in making sure landlords couldn’t get local welfare money for run-down housing and I worked to protect tenants from unjust evictions while ensuring landlords followed the rules. We now have a more coordinated approach to housing assistance, which has improved the safety of our housing.
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