Belmont voters charged with filling out expanded selectboard

BELMONT — After approving last year to expand the selectboard from three members to five, voters now have the task of selecting a total of three candidates: one to a one-year term, and two to a standard three-year seat.

Voters will have a chance to make their selections Tuesday, March 14, when polls will be open at Belmont High School from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Three-year candidates (choose two)

Three candidates are competing for the two available three-year terms on the selectboard.

Public safety is a primary concern for Brian Gardiner, who has never sought elected office before, though he has served the public in the role of firefighter and director of communication for a town in Rhode Island, prior to his moving to Belmont along with his wife and son in 2009.

“I am motivated to run for selectman because I feel as if I have seen too many good, hardworking people leave the town’s employment due to a hostile environment. That must stop,” Gardiner said. He was also critical of the selectboard’s decision to refuse federal grant money that could have hired six new firefighters.

Gardiner said he would strive to make the town’s issues more transparent, “so the people know what is going on,” and that he would be in favor of using federal funds instead of local tax dollars when available. “I would also like to see the town of Belmont hire a full-time police chief,” Gardiner said.

Rep. Travis O’Hara (R), who has twice been elected to the Statehouse, has lived in Belknap County for nearly all of his life. He has lived in Belmont, where and his wife live with their two children, since he was 15.

“I have been active in the community for about eight years, whether on the board of Lakes Region Girl Softball, as a state representative, or at Lakes Region Helping Hands,” O’Hara said.

The town doesn’t have any significant issues for O’Hara. He hopes to make the town’s business more accessible and transparent to its constituents.

“Transparency is the issue I am most passionate about when it comes to Belmont. Many situations look shady but could be fully justified, but the public doesn't know this. Also, our town meetings are scheduled for 10 a.m., which disenfranchises most of our citizens due to work obligations,” O’Hara said.

O’Hara noted that Belmont has one of the highest tax rates in Belknap County, and he pledged to bring a mindset of fiscal responsibility to the selectboard.

“I want to watch budgets close, but also listen to the citizens about any issues with town departments and work with them to improve our service,” O’Hara said. “No matter your political views or vote, I will always have an open phone and open mind to any resident of Belmont.”

Claude “Sonny” Patten should be well known by seasoned town voters. He served on the planning board for 24 years, then switched to the selectboard, for which he is seeking his third term.

“Belmont is a great place to live, whether you choose the rural or town areas,” Patten said.

Patten is now retired, but in his working years he owned and operated auto repair and landscaping businesses, and raised cattle on his property. He said he would like to promote development of commercial and industrial activity in the town, and that one of his specific objectives is to see the renovation of the Belmont Mill through to completion so the town’s offices can move into the historic structure.

Patten said he has developed a good working relationship with the other two sitting selectboard members, and that he’s more of a listener than a speaker by nature. When it comes to the budget, though, he said he’s not shy.

“I’m definitely a conservative person, really conservative,” Patten said, noting that he examines the town’s budget requests line by line, and it was a point of pride for him that the town’s budget committee was able to recommend the selectboard’s budget proposal without any changes.

“I like working with the town. When I came here, a couple of my friends convinced me to get on the planning board. Once I got a taste of it, I wanted to stay in it,” Patten said.

One-year term (choose one)

Three other candidates have registered to run for the single-year term on the selectboard.

Sharon Ciampi, a fifth-generation Belmont native, should be a familiar face to many, as she has worked “all kinds of customer service jobs,” including 17 years in a local restaurant that was owned by her family up until 2011.

She is also a mother, raising seven children, including some of her own and some who came with her husband, “and a few that just needed us,” she said.

Ciampi currently serves the town as a member of the cemetery trustees, the budget committee and the zoning board of adjustment. She said she doesn’t have specific policy goals, but that communication could be improved in town. “We need to work on this in all areas,” she said.

“I am motivated by the desire to show people what can be done. This is one of the ways for me to continue learning and doing my part to serve my community. I am hoping that I can inspire other people who care about their town and school to do the same. Our community needs us,” Ciampi said. “I am passionate about being progressive in planning and meeting future needs while keeping our historic roots strong.”

Bob Veloski is another longtime resident of town. He’s lived in Belmont for more than 35 years, and he and his wife raised three children who all graduated from Belmont High School.

Veloski’s candidacy for selectboard follows a life of public service. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy; worked for the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles; as town administrator for several towns including Bristol, Sanbornton and Tilton; and has worked for Marine Patrol.

Veloski said he is motivated to run to keep taxes and spending in check, and that he has a specific goal of returning Belmont to a traditional town meeting form of government.

The third candidate for the single-year seat on the selectboard is Rep. Douglas Trottier (R), who did not respond to an email requesting information about his candidacy. However, in a profile he wrote on citizensforbelknap.org, he identifies himself as someone who has experience both as a business owner and as a public servant. He works for the Belknap County Sheriff’s Department and represents Belmont in the Statehouse.

In the profile, Trottier describes himself as a supporter of public safety, a Constitutionalist and a fiscal conservative.