Contests in ward 1 and 2 drive constituents to polls

LACONIA — Voter turnout is historically low for local primary elections, but moderators in Wards 1 and 2 said with a pair of contested races, they saw more voters than expected hit the polls.

“I thought only 10% would show up, and we passed that mark five hours in,” said Ward 1 Moderator May Stewart on Tuesday, noting that with 2,364 registered voters, it makes them the largest ward. “It is better than expected.”

Ward 2 Moderator Lenny Miner agreed it was a bit higher than anticipated, but he still considered the turnout moderate.

“Every election varies a little, but it is usually under 20%,” Miner said. “So being at 10% right now is pretty good.”

City Clerk Katie Gargano wonders why more city residents don’t vote, due to the effect it has on their life.

“The local elections are the most important, but have the least voter participation,” Gargano said. “I hope that changes.”

Ward 1 resident Ed Higgins said this is a meaningful election, and he is supporting Ron Judd for city council.

“I just like him,” Higgins said. “At this level it is really if they are good folks.”

Higgins didn’t get political when speaking about what brought him to the polls Tuesday, saying he wants a council that can “fix the homeless problem and just keeping things level.”

However, fellow Ward 1 resident Jasmine Ehmann, who was also in support of Judd, said she didn’t want any liberals on the city council.

“I have been living in Laconia since 1994, and I don’t like what is happening,” Ehmann said. “I have three kids, and they won’t be able to afford living in Laconia.”

Ehmann has concerns about workforce or low-income housing at the former Laconia State School property, saying she thinks there should be single-family homes if the city wants to bring in money.

“I guess I want it to be more fiscally conservative,” Ehmann said. “The city has turned too liberal and non-transparent.”

All three candidates for council were standing with signs outside the Ward 1 poll at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Old North Main Street, remarking on how the weather was beautiful, but they also wish more people came out to vote.

Candidate Jon Hildreth was born and raised in Laconia, and raised his own children in the city. He said he remembers the “straight arrows” who came in to cut the budget, and property taxes ended up increasing dramatically.

“I don’t want this to happen again, and this is the primary reason I am running,” Hildreth said. “I’m running to make certain that Laconia is governed by Laconians.”

Michael MacFadzen, also running for Ward 1 council, is running on a fiscally conservative platform, and said the council needs to hold the government more fiscally responsible. He said taxes need to be lowered, and also wants Laconia to be more attractive to bringing in businesses to help the city’s future.

“We need a plan for the future, and not just today,” MacFadzen said.

Judd has concerns about the homeless population, as well as drug and criminal activity. He said he is all for helping, but does not want to offer handouts.

Judd is an abutter to the Laconia State School property, and said the city doesn’t need to be in the real estate business. If he is elected, he said he will work to make this a reality.

“It is going to take a team of people to fix the problems we have,” Judd said. “It is time for a change in the city. We need to work together.”

Ward 2 has a contested race with incumbent Bob Soucy taking on Gregg Hough and Nicole Arsenault.

Soucy has lived and worked in Laconia for 55 years. He wants to see the city bring in more jobs, and also focus on more and affordable housing. He pointed out that just this week the council passed an ordinance to align with this vision.

He is happy with the fire and police departments, saying they are handling the drug problem better than other cities. He also stressed he is not in favor of “God Pods,” referring to proposed temporary shelter pods made from garage door materials.

One aspect of the local election he was peeved about was that some treat it as partisan.

“A lot of people are controlled by a party, but I am not,” Soucy said. “That bothers me. I do what is best for the city.”

Arsenault was running for city council for the first time, and said a focus is to create housing for people experiencing homelessness, and affordable housing for people like herself. She also wants to keep downtown active and provide assistance to food pantries and those helping the elderly.

“If you want to make changes, you have to start locally.”

Hough has concerns about homeless encampments, and that taxes are going “through the roof” due to a continuously growing government.

Hough wants to bring fresh ideas to the council, saying the incumbents have been there for nearly a decade. He questioned the appointment of the new interim mayor, saying Charlie St. Clair is on multiple committees and was even named Citizen of the Year.

He said things like this show a lack of transparency and unwillingness to shake things up.

“The same people have been doing the same things,” Hough said. “It is time for a change.”

Dr. Craig Hokanson came out to support Mike Bordes for mayor and Hough for city council. He was casting a ballot because he felt there are changes that need to be made in Laconia, notably addressing the city infrastructure and heeding attention to the school system. He felt these were the candidates to get the job done.

“I am looking to get some experienced and qualified, down-to-Earth local people back in office,” Hokanson said. “I like what they stand for, and their approach to making the city strong again.”

Monica Foster said she is “not a party line voter,” and in local elections it helps, because she has a better idea of who she is voting for.

“I just wish more people would vote instead of just complaining,” Foster said. “It’s the only ting we can do, isn’t it?”