3 candidates vying for Ward 2 city council seat on Tuesday

LACONIA — Residents of Laconia Ward 2 have a choice of three candidates — two newcomers seeking change, and the incumbent — during the Municipal Primary on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

As they will appear on the ballot, candidates are incumbent Robert Soucy, who works as a sales director for GM Boyd Corp; Gregg Hough, who works for the U.S. Postal Service and was a former state representative 2020-22; and Nicole Arsenault, who is entering the political sphere and works in medical data entry.

Polling locations are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Along with Ward 2, Ward 1 and the mayor's seat will appear on the ballot. The top two vote-getters next week will advance to the Municipal Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4. 

Robert Soucy

Soucy said he's proud to be a member of council and "does everything" he can to maintain its non-partisan nature. He's served in the role since 2020, when he was appointed to fill an unexpired term.

Additionally, he's served as head of the finance committee, focused on reducing taxes and keeping an eye on the city's tax burden.

"In fact, we're probably below average when it comes to the amount of bonds we have for a city our size, and we've done very well staying under the tax cap," he said. "We've done a lot of work to make sure we can pay first responders — our firemen, our police. Same for a lot of our regular workers."

One area he said the council is working on with the police department is cleaning up Rotary Park, which is a frequent spot for the city's population experiencing homelessness to pass time. While there's no overnight solution, plans and actions are in place, he said.

When it comes to homelessness, it's important to remember Laconia has services, which means more people will be drawn to the city than neighboring communities, Soucy said.

"We have to work with them, because in many cases, let's say it's a choice in some ways, but it's really probably a mix of mental situations, or they didn't have a job," he said.

To improve accessibility to housing, the city needs to work with developers, and Soucy supports using tax credits to encourage growth. Credits reduce the cost for developers by cutting taxes owed on a project.

"Because if you're a developer, the first thing you want to do ... you want to build to get the biggest return on your investment, right? There's some developers we might be able to work with," he said. "They come forth, and we work with them on tax credits, because we're bound by law that we just can't turn around and say, 'Hey, it's all free,' right? It wouldn't be fair for the rest of the citizens of the city either, to pay for somebody else's development. But there are ways that we can do that. We've done it with the Holy Trinity School. We did it with Elm Street."

Soucy said he also wants to work with community members and businesses to encourage economic development. The city hired a coordinator, who also focuses on housing, last year, with a goal to bring in more jobs.

However, Soucy also wants to look at helping people get jobs. One idea he'd like to explore is offering technical training, like at the Hout Career and Technical Center at Laconia High School, to people after they graduate. For example, for graduates who don't attend college, aren't interested in military service, struggle to find a job or take a few years to figure out what they want to do. People shouldn't be abandoned after high school, Soucy said.

"[More jobs] is a real challenge here, because we're looked at by most people who, let's say, could bring jobs here — big companies — as a vacation spot, not as a place where they want to put a factory," he said. "I don't think people really understand that, but we can bring in a lot of new jobs if we work hard at it."

One area with development on the horizon is the former State School property, over which the city doesn't have much control. Soucy said council needs to see a more detailed plan, but he's hoping the developer will set aside space for the average citizen to enjoy Laconia Village.

In June, the city council accepted an agreement with Pillsbury Realty Development — the firm which won the right to purchase and improve the state-owned land on Parade Road — which includes plans to discuss cost-sharing decisions around expanded public infrastructure, such as roads, water and sewer.

Pillsbury offered the state $10.5 million for the property, but the terms of the purchase-and-sale agreement give the developer the opportunity to pursue the necessary permits and approvals before closing the deal.

"People think that we can just turn around and say, 'You're not going to build unless you go this way.' We don't have that control. We get to work with them and suggest," he said. "As long as they stay within the zoning laws."

Soucy has lived in Ward 2 all his life, including getting married on George Street, and raising seven kids with eight grandkids.

Gregg Hough

Hough said he hasn't liked the direction the city's been heading for going on a decade.

"I've been here for a long time, almost 60 years," he said. "I remember certain things, and I remember how things can be, and used to be, and those things are slipping away. I thought it was time for a changing of the guard, if you will. The wind seemed right to try and make a difference."

Homelessness is a nationwide issue, Hough said, which involves many moving parts and doesn't have a quick fix. The main thing is to make sure all parts are moving together, otherwise it won't end well. The goal is to make it good for everybody.

"I'm pretty sure out of 350 million people, if somebody hasn't figured it out yet, probably I'm not going to be the guy," he said. "But I do know what has been tried hasn't worked, and I do know that there are other avenues that make things better.

"My main concern is for the taxpayers here, the working families, the working people that pay the bills for all this stuff. They tend to get put on the back burner and that's one of the things I felt needed to change.”

Hough said he doesn't agree with the idea Laconia needs affordable housing, or that "making cheap houses" will be more affordable. For example, if somebody wants to live in New York City, it isn't affordable, so they either make the money to afford to live there, or they don't, he said.

The solution rests more in increasing household incomes. He sees the city's role as encouraging economic development.

"The housing prices aren't going to go down," he said. "If you want to live here, you're going to have to make the money. I think that Laconia is in a good spot to be able to bring economic development in and to create a pathway for solid jobs, for solid education to get into those jobs, and that's where your affordable housing is going to come in. It's not the backwards approach."

For Hough, the way to approach economic development is to simplify the process and make it more attractive. Opening a business shouldn't be made difficult by regulation or taxation.

While Laconia used to be a factory city, that isn't likely to come back without a road connecting to Interstate 93, he said.

"There certainly are other industries. A lot of people work from home, a lot of cyber stuff," he said. "There's no reason why that stuff can't be made attractive and brought in here, why we couldn't be a hub for that kind of thing. AI is on the verge of becoming massive. We could be attractive for that."

For development on the State School property, Hough said he likes the idea of businesses going in first to provide revenue while development continues. Advice he received when first getting into business was, "you don't buy a house and then go into business; you go into business and then you buy your house."

He also acknowledged he's concerned about funding for infrastructure.

"It could be a very big opportunity for us; it also could be a massive dog if it isn't handled properly," Hough said. "As far as properly goes, what does that look like? If you're going to talk about putting in homes and developments, like, that's nice, but that's not going to cut your taxes, that's not going to do anything except put a bigger [tax] burden and make everything more expensive. You're going to have to expand your schools, your police force, your fire. All that stuff comes with a heavy, heavy cost. Will the taxes coming from it offset that? That's something that would have to be looked into."

Hough raises four dogs, which he said is too many of anything. 

Nicole Arsenault

Arsenault started her candidacy by taking the advice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at the end of the 2024 presidential campaign, when he encouraged people to start in their community when trying to make change.

Since November, she’s attended local movements such as a budget protest in April, in response to cuts proposed by the House Finance Committee in Concord.

Her hope in running for council is to be a voice for the working parents of Laconia.

“The majority of the time, people who are in those positions are either retired or they don’t have children here,” Arsenault said. “I want to be that person that still does have children, even though my children are out of high school, at least I can try to vouch for those parents that live here.”

In the 18 years she’s lived in Laconia, Arsenault said she’s always seen people without housing, but it has gotten worse over the last five years. Housing everyday people can afford needs to be part of the solution, along with ways to help people get back on their feet.

Over recent years, she’s also seen an uptick in gentrification, or the revitalization of areas which attracts wealthier residents, leading to rising property values and higher rents, which push out working-class people.

“They can’t afford to live here and that, I know, is the top [factor in homelessness], because I’m one of those people that can’t afford to live here,” she said. “I don’t think we really have much for affordable housing, workforce housing based on income. It’s definitely, within the last five years, is more luxury apartments and condos in the area, especially around the lakes ... which has not helped, especially the homeless population in our area.”

The job market is also impacting housing and homelessness in the area, Arsenault said. A report from the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute shows job growth across the states appears to have stalled in 2025, and fewer people reported being employed. If somebody can’t find work then they can’t find housing, Arsenault said, which results in homelessness.

Arsenault said she’d like to encourage businesses to come to the area.

“I think if there’s anything we can do to give incentives for businesses to come here, whether it’s private or, I guess, corporate. It would benefit us in the long run,” she said. “Especially like the Bank of New Hampshire, I know, does a lot, they can to give back to the area. I’m sure there’s something they could probably do.

"I think that’s definitely one of the areas that council can move, just starting conversations.”

She’s also hopeful the State School project will produce housing for the average Laconian in single-family homes. Two-bedroom condos are nice, she said, but a family with kids needs options with three or more bedrooms at an affordable level — recognizing more square footage usually means it’s more expensive.

However, for privacy’s sake, the space is needed.

“I have a daughter and a son, and when they get to a certain age, you can’t have them share a room,” she said. “Sometimes families have bigger families, and it’s just better to not have to share a room with your children. I’m speaking completely anecdotally in that regard, but I’m sure a lot of families would agree with that.”

Arsenault recently spent five years in Florida, starting before the COVID-19 pandemic, where her family rented a 2,000-square-foot home with a bonus room and two car garage for $1,700 — more space than for a similar price here.

“Now, coming back within five years, not only was our rent going up down there, it’s the same situation here,” she said. “The rent is the same, but in the smaller square footage. Now it’s becoming almost unlivable.”

Arsenault is the great-great-grandniece of Benjamin Piscopo, who built the Colonial Theatre downtown.