3 running for Ward 1 council seat left open by Cheney

LACONIA — Ward 1 residents, located on the city’s western and central side, will have the opportunity to vote for one of three candidates in the upcoming primary on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

The Laconia Daily Sun sat down with each candidate to learn more about their stance on issues like city development, the housing crisis, the impacts of the State School sale and general improvements for the city.

Voters in Ward 1 can cast their ballot on Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1244 Old N. Main St.

Jon Hildreth

With multigenerational roots in Laconia, Jon Hildreth is running on a non-partisan platform of transparency for constituents, believing in the importance of understanding how city services and departments work in order to do an effective job.

“I’m a real proponent of Laconia,” said Hildreth. “I’m keen to make sure that we keep this a non-partisan mayor and council.

“It’s my town, and I see forces that maybe have ulterior motives. The mayor and the council should always be focused on constituents and what’s good for the City of Laconia. I will always do that,” he said. “I think people lose sight of that, but it’s our constituents that we should be serving, not ourselves.”

A former small business owner in the wine and spirits industry, as well as an executive for several larger companies, Hildreth’s experience lends itself to the responsibilities of a councilor because he likes to truly understand how things operate to make informed decisions.

In doing so in preparation for his campaign, Hildreth made a point to visit city leaders in the city manager's office and fire, police and public works departments. Doing so has given him a different perspective — his dad was a police officer and firefighter — and point of view shaped in empathy and understanding.

“I think it’s so important that I get involved and find out how things work, why things work,” he said. “I don’t think you can honestly govern without knowing how and why things need to happen.”

An avid boater on Lake Opechee, Hildreth enjoys all Laconia has to offer, but believes there’s much work to be done to make the city more attractive, especially in regard to the housing and homelessness crises.

“We have to remember: We have to be mindful and empathetic,” he said, referencing a study which reminds readers substance abuse doesn’t affect all individuals experiencing homelessness. “These are people. We need to help these people and get them homes.”

When opponent Mike MacFadzen made reference in a letter to the editor about Manchester’s methods of coping with their unsheltered population, Hildreth was quick to point out it’s not a cookie-cutter solution.

“We have a strong network of mental health and addiction services, so we need to continue to fund those. Zero homelessness would be wonderful, but we need to do it in a sensible manner,” he said. Manchester is a much larger municipality with more opportunities for grant funding.

“I’m a strong proponent of doing everything we can to eliminate homelessness in Laconia and the Lakes Region, but one-size-fits-all doesn’t work. We need to do it in a sensible manner, both financially and strategically.”

The State School property is anticipated to bring a slew of housing options and so long as they are affordable, that will help, he said, but it will affect the city’s infrastructure due to the population increase.

“Traffic could be a problem. We need sustained growth. We need to make sure we keep it measured [and keep it] healthy,” Hildreth said, referencing the burden to taxpayers. “We can’t just continue to build without looking at infrastructure.”

However, he is of the mindset that many people will use the State School housing opportunities for a vacation property.

Last year, Hildreth ran a campaign for Belknap 5 state representative as a Democrat and lost.

Nonetheless, he believes in community — and Laconia.

“I think we have people that are calling for transparency, and I will be transparent,” he said. “This is my city. This is where I was born and raised.”

A little known fact about Hildreth? He ran track at Laconia High School and won his first event at age 14.

Ron Judd

Ron Judd wouldn’t consider himself a normal politician.

In fact, the candidate has worn a tie more in the past three weeks than in his whole life, he said. It’s something he’s enjoyed as he looks to fill the seat vacated by incumbent Bruce Cheney, who is running for mayor.

Self-described as a blue-collar worker and a Harley-Davidson rider, the former telecommunications employee believes all communication should be favorable, or it’s not worth engaging with.

“Everything needs to be positive. If you’re trying something to move in a forward motion and you’re not moving, what do you do? You change. You adapt,” he said. “Those are the things that need to be done. We can’t just sit stagnant like we have been for several years.”

Judd has five “hot topic” issues he’s focusing on: transparency and accountability, the homelessness situation, housing, city infrastructure, and stronger support for first responders.

Regarding the city’s unhoused population, Judd is a big believer in giving people “a hand up, not a handout.”

“That may sound a little cold, but I think people should be doing something to try to better themselves and not just depend on someone else to do everything for them.”

One of his solutions to “the hottest issue in Laconia” is to bring back a jobs corp center for people in need of work as well as housing. He believes this would help that population tremendously.

“It taught people some type of skill to go out and be productive and have a trade. And that builds self-respect,” he said. “That’s something I think we should try to implement, a jobs corp program, for some of the homeless people in this community to get them moving forward.”

It’s part of his nature to give back to the community and help out where he can. A volunteer and member of both the Laconia Rod & Gun Club, and Creative Actions = Ripple Effects, or CARE, he knows the impact lending a helping hand can have.

“My main focus is to help people in the community. I try to help people that I see are trying to move forward themselves and struggling,” he said.

Judd speaks straight to the point, and realizes it’s going to take a collaborative group of people to move the city forward.

“I don’t think that any one person honestly can come up with the answers for any of the city’s problems. It’s going to take a very good team of people, open-minded people, and a team of leaders,” he said.

A letter to the editor penned by Judd also referenced this approach, stating, “There is no singular solution to the problems we face but working together, dreams can become reality.”

His own property on Parade Road abuts the former State School, and he has major concerns about the increased traffic Ward 1 will host.

“One of my biggest concerns is I know how hard it is for me to get out of my driveway right now on that road, in the morning or in late afternoon when people are commuting back and forth to work,” Judd said. “How are you going to get these people in and out of that area every single day? That’s a huge impact on infrastructure.”

The housing is needed, though, especially because he thinks too much focus is spent on options that aren’t super affordable.

“There seems to be a big focus on high-priced condos. There needs to be some type of program set up so that we can have lower income housing for people that are struggling, and we don’t have that right now,” Judd said.

He believes he can make a real difference in the community as a councilor.

“It seems like the residents of this city have lost their faith and trust in the current administration,” he said. “I think that needs to change. The people of this city should be able to trust those people that are running the city.”

And if you’re curious, his dog was named on his wedding anniversary, resulting in the name “Annie.”

Mike MacFadzen

Self-dubbed as a “Reagan Republican,” long-time Laconia resident Mike MacFadzen hopes to bring a more conservative approach to the council, opting for less taxes and spending, and tighter fiscal responsibility.

“I just don’t see throwing money at problems as the solution,” said the former police officer and director of the Belknap County Restorative Justice Program. “I see a lot of issues in the city where the taxpayer has been on the hook for poor real estate development deals, like the Colonial Theatre, St. Joseph’s and now, the State School property.”

It’s his opinion the government should have no say in the State School property, and they’re better off leaving the development to private entities.

“I think that we need a conservative approach to it. We need to look at engaging with private enterprises and businesses for that development, because private industry, private business always does better than the government.”

Construction delays and overspending are examples of government intervention gone wrong, in his opinion. Opting to focus on city infrastructure, like sewer and water, is a better way to spend time and money.

Regardless, MacFadzen appreciates hearing everyone’s viewpoint.

He referenced Ronald Reagan, providing context behind Reagan’s preference for listening to opinions different than his own.

“President Reagan was probably the best example of this, because he didn’t want people sitting around the table just agreeing with him. He might not necessarily agree with what they’re doing, but he could then have maximum information to consider to make the best decision,” MacFadzen said.

MacFadzen ran against Sheriff Bill Wright for the county post in 2020 and 2022.

In a letter to the editor published in The Sun, MacFadzen wrote about his stance on homelessness in the city, particularly the downtown area, and presented an approach similar to Manchester.

But during an in-person interview, MacFadzen clarified this stance, admitting he realizes the locales boast different demographics.

“[Homelessness] is a major issue that impacts every department in the city, from parks & rec to the police and fire,” he said. “ But I think we need to look at it similarly to Manchester. Not copy Manchester, because we’re not Manchester and we’re a much smaller community, but we have just as big of a problem.”

Understanding the strain substance abusers place on public safety, MacFadzen wants to see programs for rehabilitating people continue to gain strength. To do so, he wants to enforce existing laws and city ordinances which people experiencing homelessness continue to violate.

“It may be breaking the law that becomes the contact you need to say, ‘I need help. I want to go to counseling.’ Then you get them to the doorway” of where they can receive help.

Laconia’s housing crisis lends itself to a larger issue: overtaxation, something MacFadzen is critical about.

“I think we have a huge tax problem, we overtax our residents,” he said, explaining how they lowered the tax rate years ago, then increased the property tax. The result? “We’re taxing our citizens out of Laconia.”

Instead, MacFadzen proposes a tax incentive to encourage private businesses to move to Laconia.

“I think we need to be much more business-friendly in this city, and that’s one of the few areas I really want to work on,” he said, alluding to a broadened tax base that could possibly result in reduced taxes for residents. “I also want to see a more open, transparent government. The taxpayers deserve to know what our government’s doing and they deserve to know where the money is being spent, how it’s being spent, and they deserve to have a voice in that.”

The owner of two bird-hunting dogs, Mallaidh and Abby, MacFadzen is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hunting, fishing and snowmobiling.