Candidates outline city and school priorities

LACONIA — City Council and School Board candidates outlined what they see as Laconia’s strengths and challenges during a forum at Leavitt Park Clubhouse on Monday evening.

Development of Weirs Beach and downtown Laconia was a major topic, along with budget challenges and the tax cap. Candidates differentiated themselves by speaking about how they would work within the cap to address the issues facing the city.

Ward 6 City Councilor Armand Bolduc and his challenger, Reuben Bassett, provided the most marked contrast. Both said they support the tax cap, but Bassett argued against viewing spending only through the lens of the cap.

“We need to look at priorities,” he said. “If we’re cutting corners to save money and creating problems down the road, then we will spend more money in the long run.”

Bolduc maintained that the current City Council, by focusing on the tax cap, has been able to make significant progress without overburdening Laconia taxpayers.

“It’s very easy to spend money, but you have to have a limit,” he said. “We don’t look at something and say, ‘Let’s do it,’ we look to see what we can do with the funds we have. It’s a tough job, but that’s the way it has to be.”

Ward 2 candidate Richard Beaudoin said the tax cap reins in spending by the municipal departments. “Keep the tax cap and everyone is going to have to toe the mark,” he said.

Beaudoin’s opponent, incumbent David Bownes, was unable to attend the forum. Also absent was Bob Hamel, who is uncontested in Ward 5.

Ward 1 candidate Susan Hodgkins said the tax cap is important. “With each decision, we have to see how we can afford to do it realistically,” she said.

Her opponent, Bruce Cheney, cited his experience as a former Laconia police chief and subsequent 24-year career with the State of New Hampshire as providing budgetary experience that will be helpful on the City Council.

“I had 180 employees, and in 24 years never had a budget that went over,” he said. “I’m one of those old folks who worry about taxes, and we have to pay attention to spending beyond budget time.”

Ward 5 School Board candidate Rodney Roy said, “You’ll never meet anyone tighter with money; you can ask my wife.” He also cited 20 years of work with the state without ever going over budget. He suggested giving up his stipend as a School Board member to help keep middle school sports going. “If I’m going to ask you to give up tax money, I’ll show you I’m giving up first,” he said.

His opponent, incumbent Stacie Sirois, said giving up a $1,200 stipend is not going to save sports. “We’ve had budget cuts for the last two years, and we’ll probably need other cuts to fund the teachers’ contract, but the salaries and benefits are necessary. We need good people to educate our pupils. We had to cut, but the public always can come and offer comments.”

Ward 4 School Board candidate Dawn Johnson, who is running unopposed, said she hopes a fresh set of eyes on the board will provide other options for staying within the budget.

Development

Several questions at the forum made reference to development, whether in downtown Laconia where the fate of the aging parking garage has been a topic of discussion or at Weirs Beach where the Weirs Beach Drive-In was eyed by a developer to convert it to condos and retail.

Cheney said downtown Laconia is “not the downtown I remember from 20 years ago,” and the city needs to make it easier for businesses to succeed.

Hodgkins said residents are worried about changes at Weirs Beach where events like Motorcycle Week are not drawing the crowds they used to bring in.

“I’ve always been an advocate of the WOW Trail, Hodgkins added, saying it can provide economic benefits, but, “South Down Shores has people concerned, and we need to analyze the benefits and concerns.”

Cheney said he regrets “the situation with South Down” but he thinks the Winnisquam-Opechee-Winnipesaukee Trail is a way to encourage millennials to come to Laconia.

City Council candidates were unanimous in supporting the WOW Trail, but Bolduc said they need to “think this out where the next phase is going to go.”

“I’m not for putting anyone out of business,” he said. “I don’t want to force the trains to leave. People along the railroad tracks are really concerned. We need to look at that and have a discussion.”

He was referring to a proposal to study whether it would make economic sense to remove the tracks and allow the recreational trail to use the railbed, which would put the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad out of business.

No one had a solution for the downtown parking garage, which would be expensive to repair and expensive to tear down. Downtown merchants say more parking is needed, but the candidates expressed doubts about investing in an old structure that still would require people to walk to the businesses.

“People do not want to walk,” said Beaudoin. “They want to park next to where they’re going.” He suggested creating a new parking lot central to the downtown businesses.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Bassett said. “It means they’re invested in being here. It’s a case where we may need to spend to save money in the end.”

School Board candidates spoke of the number of indigent and homeless families in the area and how to serve them.

Roy suggested getting a “buy-in” from students receiving free or reduced meals by having them read to other classes. “It would teach them to help,” he said.

Sirois noted that the school district is working on a strategic plan to help those students while improving education so more upper middle class families move to Laconia. She noted that 60 percent of the students currently qualify for free or reduced lunches.

Johnson suggested working with local restaurants to have them teach students to cook and develop meal plans so they can bring those skills home.

About 35 Laconia residents listened to City Council and School Board candidates state their positions on spending and growth during a forum at the Leavitt Park Clubhouse on Monday night. (Tom Caldwell/Laconia Daily Sun)