Occupation: Insurance Agent
Your Education/Background: BS in Business St. Michael’s College, VT
How Long Have You Lived in Manchester? 28 years
Hobbies/Fun Fact about you/other biographical info: Golf, Hiking, Boating, Climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mt. Washington. Working to climb all 48 4,000-foot mountains in NH. One of my laws was adopted and signed by The U.S. Congress and signed by President Bush.
If elected, what steps would you endorse to address the issue of homelessness in the city?
Drugs and other substance abuse is the reason for much of our homeless population. The police and federal drug enforcement have done a great job on this issue. The result is less availability of drugs. However, I have seen a drug dealer set up shop on Elm Street in a van and watched as a line of homeless people come get their supply. I want more tough laws on homelessness and drug use in Manchester. NO tent cities or allowing people to sleep in the open. Provide services to those who want to get help, get off the streets and work. We need to get tougher on other towns that send their homeless to Manchester.
If elected, what steps would you endorse to address the issue of housing costs?
The most significant variable costs for housing are the time and cost of permitting and zoning restrictions. These need to be streamlined and revised to allow for quick approvals and new housing ideas such as cluster housing and workforce housing pods. Lower costs will reduce the costs passed on to renters and home buyers.
If elected, what steps would you endorse to address the issue of attracting and retaining quality city employees?
We currently have quality City employees for the most part. Manchester has good benefits and comparable pay in many but not all departments. The salary plan has needed to be revise for years but there does not seem to be the political will to do so. If the City wants to have more quality employees, this needs to be addressed or we will lose our best employees.
What is your perspective on the city’s roads, transit system and parking? If you believe improvement is needed, how would you accomplish that?
The roads are in better shape but need more improvements. Maintenance and repair need to be priority as that lengthens the life of roads costing less over time. Parking will become a mess as many developments have been approved requiring only one parking space per unit. This needs to stop immediately. The transit system needs to provide more routs with smaller and more efficient busses. I see many of the large busses nearly empty. That does not make sense.
What are your thoughts on the city’s business climate and how would you attract more businesses to come to Manchester or convince more people to start businesses in Manchester?
Business likes consistency in taxes and regulations. The tax cap had been instrumental in providing lower tax increases and eliminating large increases. This needs to continue. Some departments in the city are not business friendly and hinder business growth. There needs to be some changes at the top and in the philosophy of some departments immediately. Business does come to Manchester, but it could be so much better. Towns surrounding Manchester know this and have done more to entice businesses to go to their towns versus Manchester.
What is your opinion of the state of education in Manchester and what should the relationship be between the Board of School Committee and Board of Mayor and Aldermen?
The relationship is strained. The School Board likes to spend and spend without showing any results. The Alderman need to keep tax increases down to a minimum. That is a spiral in the wrong direction. The School District needs to be audited, and the School District needs to revert back to being a Department of the City.