GOFFSTOWN, NH – On Monday, October 20, incumbent Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais and Board of School Committee Member Jess Spillers came together with moderator Scott Spradling for a mayoral forum hosted by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
Here’s a recap of the questions and answers by the candidates:
How would you stimulate business growth in the Greater Manchester area?
Spillers said she would look at quality of life issues and support more affordable housing as well as legislation that would bring passenger rail to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
Ruais said he felt that adding more housing is key, as a greater supply of housing will drive down prices. He said that passing the pending zoning ordinance rewrite is important as well to helping to reduce housing prices. More work also needs to be done to help build the workforce of tomorrow by working with local colleges and companies as well as creating a city that is safe, clean and inviting. He added that cleaning efforts from the downtown street team have helped make the downtown become a more inviting place.
What can be done to help biofabrication companies in the Millyard?
Ruais said that educational materials related to topics that the biofabrication industry need to be put into the hands of children as young as possible. Spillers agreed, but added that cuts to the school budget would not help in that cause. She also said that additional housing is not enough, there also has to be more affordable housing and that there should not be tax breaks for developers that don’t need them or are not willing to cooperate with the city on affordable housing.
Positives and negatives of Manchester’s public schools
Spillers said that the Manchester School District has seen growth due to the leadership of Dr. Jenn Chmiel as the district has aligned curriculum and professional development across its school as well as implementing priority one of the district’s facilities plan and creating two dual-language immersion schools. She hopes that the district can stay the course and believes that it has a wonderful plan outlined.
Ruais agreed with much of what Spillers said, adding that more work needed to be done to assist English Language Learners, Special Education students and increase attendance levels.
What should the city do about disinvestment in local colleges and universities
Spillers is concerned as it is necessary to have strong community colleges to partner with local high schools and provide cultural intangibles that bring people to New Hampshire. She said she would act as a strong advocate in Concord.
Ruais echoed the sentiment of Concord advocacy, noting his work pushing the legislature to pass initiatives such as bail reform. He also said that supporting college is important for helping to support local businesses such as ARMI.
How will you reduce childcare costs?
Ruais said he has been working with the National League of Cities on the topic. He added that the proposed new zoning ordinance will help make it easier for people to establish daycare businesses and that working with community colleges and the YMCA will also help develop more daycare professionals.
Spillers said she spends $600 per week on daycare and agrees with Ruais’ thoughts on the zoning ordinance. She also felt that regulations for fire detectors could be streamlined to help daycare center operators open new businesses.
How will you develop “third places” (not homes or workplaces, but social gathering spaces)?
Spillers said that she loves the city’s parks and believes they should be funded at a level where they can be clean and safe.
Ruais said that the city’s 47 parks are lifelines for the city’s families and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen have spent millions of dollars renovating parks. He added that the city needs to continue seeking feedback to make sure the city’s parks are safe, clean and inviting. Ruais also said that $500,000 transferred to the Manchester Police Department from a grant for urban park rangers helped create more police coverage of crime hotspots, making the parks safer.
The State of New Hampshire wants $80 million for the Sununu Youth Development Center (YDC) property, which is probably too much for senior housing. However, if the price was right, would you put senior housing there?
Ruais said that Spradling’s mom asked this question recently in a forum at the Riverwoods community, drawing laughter from the audience. He then said that the city recently released its senior-friendly action plan and that the former Wilson Elementary School location could help provide senior housing.
Regarding the YDC property, he noted that the process on deciding what will go there will likely take at least two years and will not be done without the input of residents in Ward 1, especially abutters.
How can you convince the state to listen to locals when it comes to what should be done with the YDC?
Spillers noted that she is a social worker and part of that job is being an advocate for clients. She said she knows people at the state level that can provide help and believes local state representatives can also help.
Ruais discussed the legislation putting the property up for sale for the “highest and best” use with a default $80 million price. He also noted that he has good relationships with the Executive Council and Governor, who will oversee the sale. He also said he’s happy to advocate on Manchester’s behalf to the legislature as well.
Spillers said that the city should encourage mixed-use development, potentially with senior housing elements. She said that the city also must obtain the right of first refusal on the sale of the property, which it currently doesn’t have and that there are many more steps in the planning process for the property.
How will you help mental health needs faced by the city’s homeless community?
Ruais said that he is in contact regularly with organizations addressing substance abuse in the homeless community and praised the Doorways program. He also said the city needs to enforce the laws on the books and get rid of encampments and open air drug use so people can feel safe. Ruais also mentioned a press release from earlier in the day about support provided at the 39 Beech Street Shelter’s Engagement Center. That release stated that from June 2024 to October 2025, the city and its partners have provided…
- 2,733 provider connections made linking individuals to critical resources
- Housing for 69 individuals
- Vital documents such as birth certificates and identification cards for 50 individuals
- Entrance into detox or treatment programs for 45 individuals
- Employment for 22 individuals.
Ruais also noted affordable housing coming to the city at the former Hallsville School, the Pearl Street lot, on Merrimack Street near the former Police Department Headquarters and the Lamont-Hanley building.
Spillers agreed that new housing and the projects Ruais mentioned were great. She then said the city needs a new Director of Housing Stability that is supported by the city government. Spillers added that the city should not lean as heavily on non-profit organizations since their grant funding is in danger and that more needs to be done to ensure that the engagement center at the 39 Beech Street Shelter becomes permanent.
How would you describe the city’s progress on addressing homelessness?
Spillers said that the city’s response to the issue of homelessness has become “human whack-a-mole” and that the city’s ordinances are not addressing key issues such as helping the city’s homeless population get help for mental health issues, substance abuse or welfare assistance for rent support.
Ruais said that he has gotten a lot of feedback from downtown businesses on the issue, stating that the city cannot have homeless encampments and must have safety for people on rail trails and parks. He added that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen have given $500,000 to the city’s Welfare Department to help prevent people from entering homelessness.
What are your thoughts on the city’s public safety?
Ruais said that the city renewed 11 collective bargaining agreements with city employee unions and provided them all raises to reduce vacancies. Next year, the city’s two police unions’ contracts will expire and he said that the city will need to provide an agreement that is both competitive and comparable to other communities to make sure that law enforcement employees are paid what they are worth.
He also expressed that he will be working with Governor Kelly Ayotte on Group II Pension reform.
Spillers said that police union contracts need to be looked at more closely and benefits need to be competitive. She also said that investing in public schools can act as a preventative measure for future crime.
Between the economy and potential grant cuts for local government and local non-profits, how concerned are you about needs being able to be met and meeting the needs of the city of Manchester?
Spillers said it’s a scary time and that the key will be keeping collaboration and communication open and providing a strong presence on the continuum of care (an organization mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development coordinating health and support services to ensure there are no gaps in care for homeless individuals in a particular area)
Ruais said that he works daily with the city government’s department heads to plan for contingencies and recently worked with the Manchester Health Department to provide a new community needs assessment plan.
How can you ensure road safety?
Ruais said that there have been extensive discussions with the Department of Public Works and other city departments to see what is needed in areas considered to be hot spots.
Spillers said that she has seen the issue first-hand living behind the CVS on South Willow Street. She felt that the city could look at environmental issues impacting road safety and also provide more lighting at intersections.
What good ideas would you steal from other communities
Spillers provided Atlanta as an example of how to address a housing crisis. She said that in Atlanta, there is an affordable housing trust different to the one in Manchester that enables seniors and individuals with low incomes get relief from property taxes, allowing them to stay in their homes.
Ruais mentioned a conversation he had with the former mayor of Rockford, Ill. That said he ended veterans’ homelessness in approximately a year through communication, including landlords in the process and creating a name-by-name list with their continuum of care. He said the lessons learned there have effectively eliminated homelessness among veterans and can be scaled up for all homeless individuals.
What can be done to create more collaboration on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen?
Ruais said it comes down to leading by example; being respectful, open and receptive of ideas as humanly possible. He then said that over the past two years, there have been few tie votes and a lot has been accomplished despite the 50/50 partisan split on the board, proving that board has learned to work together despite the noise indicating that it hasn’t.
Spillers said she would have used the mayor’s gavel much more over the past two years if she had been mayor, as people had turned the meetings into a circus. The removal of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s chair is a big deal and that has to be acknowledged. She also said that the mayor’s tie vote that led to delays on construction of the new Beech Street Elementary School was not something to be proud of and that the city needs a mayor that is open, honest and transparent.
Get tickets for the Oct. 28 Mayoral Forum at the Manchester City Library, 6-7 p.m.