Hildreth, Conant will now represent Wards 1, 6

LACONIA — The city council has two new members. Jon Hildreth will fill a vacant seat in Ward 1, and Mike Conant earned a seat in Ward 6, in a race decided by just 13 votes.

Ward 1's seat was up for grabs after incumbent Councilor Bruce Cheney opted to run for mayor, and Hildreth walked away with a big win over Mike MacFadzen, 444-344. Cheney lost the mayor's chair to state Rep. Mike Bordes (R-Laconia).

“I am anxious to get started, and know that it is going to be an awful lot of work,” Hildreth said. “I want to thank everyone who supported me, and I had a lot of support in Ward 1. Now the real work starts.”

Hildreth said he looks forward to the two years ahead of him, and just as he ran a nonpartisan campaign, he plans to continue that outlook.

“I will look at each and everything we vote on as an individual issue, and vote for the best interests of the constituents of Ward 1, and the City of Laconia,” Hildreth said.

Hildreth is encouraged by the redevelopment zoning overlay which will allow people more leeway in adding apartments and living spaces, and said it should be vital for helping those who are experiencing homelessness, or struggling.

“The more apartments and places to live in Laconia will give an opportunity to those people,” Hildreth said.

He said additional units will come with stipulations to be affordable, and thinks this could be preventative in nature, as it will be key in keeping those on the cusp from becoming unsheltered.

A focus for Hildreth will be the former State School property, which could eventually be home to thousands. He said keeping an eye on the development and ensuring the council does anything in their power to control growth in a healthy manner will be vital, and this also means being a watchdog for costs.

He will also be tuned into the city’s infrastructure needs, including a public works facility.

Hildreth said the city’s police and fire departments have done a great job, and he looks forward to supporting them as they continue to garner grants, and continue innovative programs that larger cities are starting to model after.

“Our fire and police departments are the envy of many communities, and I am prepared to do whatever I can to maintain and build on those successes,” Hildreth said.

MacFadzen immediately congratulated Hildreth on the win. Hildreth called him a “real gentleman” and said MacFadzen ran a good race.

MacFadzen also spoke highly of Hildreth. While he was discouraged with the loss, he said he wants Hildreth and the city to be successful.

“I want to see the city move in the right direction, and will support him,” MacFadzen said.

MacFadzen was discouraged by voter turnout, pointing out only about one in four registered voters cast a ballot.

“That is sad,” he said. “You’d think more people would be more involved, especially here with all the complaints about transparency, or a lack thereof. If that is how people felt, they should have been at the polls.”

In Ward 2, incumbent Councilor Bob Soucy took a 262-220 victory over Gregg Hough, in a race where Hough was one of those who spoke about a lack of transparency.

Soucy ran on a platform of being nonpartisan, despite being a registered Republican. He vowed to never vote just because of the direction of his party when it comes to the city, and he puts his constituents’ needs first.

While he was hoping for a win for Cheney, Soucy said it won’t affect the way he does his job. He added there is no animosity, and the most important thing is what the residents of the city desire.

“I am looking forward to working with the new members of the team,” Soucy said. “I want to continue down a path of nonpartisanship, and betterment of the City of Laconia.”

Hough was unavailable for comment on Wednesday.

Councilor Eric Hoffman ran unopposed in Ward 3, retaining his seat for a second term on the council, with 420 votes.

Hoffman said priorities include the hot-button issue of affordable housing, as well as how to handle the homeless population in Laconia. There is also a “big backlog” of road repairs that need to be dealt with, and he hopes to work with the councilors on continuing the economic development Laconia has made.

Incumbent Councilor Mark Haynes defeated Rep. Sheri Minor in Ward 4, 200-162, and said he appreciated his constituents for supporting him in a fifth term.

“Now we can put the political word salad and everything else behind us, because it is time to govern,” Haynes said. “I do feel privileged, because I am the elder councilman now.”

He stressed the importance of hearing other opinions while putting aside his own and making the best decision possible for the ward.

An immediate focus will be with the entrance and exits for Briarcrest Estates near Old Prescott Road, saying the issue has been “kicked down the road long enough.” Currently, he said residents there drive all the way into Belmont to get home, which is unacceptable.

“The city and state needs to help these people,” he said. “It is ridiculous.”

Minor didn’t hold back her disappointment on the loss, and was critical of Haynes for not recusing himself as Ward 4 moderator when running for the council seat. She also said people have come to her upset and frustrated, saying they have emailed Haynes and often never got a reply. She said win or lose, she is there for Ward 4.

“If my people in my ward email me, I will answer and speak for them,” Minor said.

Councilor Steven Bogert came away with a 188-114 win over Doug Robinson, to retain his seat in Ward 5.

“I am quite excited to continue what I have been doing for Ward 5,” Bogert said. “The people who elected me support it, and I think the numbers speak for themselves.”

Bogert, who is also a state representative and has been a resident for 23 years, was appointed and then elected to city council in 2023. When he campaigned, he touted his work in removing illegal camping in sections of the city, saying this led to a reduction in crime.

“I have been working on removing illegal camping in Ward 5, and people want to keep putting names to it, but it is illegal, and they are breaking the law,” Bogert said.

Bogert has said a challenge in Laconia is the State School development, and a potential influx of housing. He also plans to assess the city’s infrastructure, traffic modifications, and the need for a new public works building.

Robinson called Bogert “gracious and kind,” and said the election was eye-opening to him. He is now looking into committees to get more involved, and said another push for a council seat could be in his future.

“I just want to be involved in city government, and I will continue to do what I can to make Laconia a better place,” Robinson said.

Incumbent Councilor Tony Felch was narrowly defeated in Ward 6 by Conant, 319-306, and said on Wednesday he trusts the machines, and will not be looking for a recount.

“I am a little disappointed, but it is what it is,” Felch said.

Conant was pleased with a 30% turnout, but said it can always be higher, and he will continue to strive to get more people involved.

“One part of my campaign was to get people to register to vote who had not done so, and I felt that was an accomplishment,” Conant said. “I am happy with the results, and think we will have an opportunity to improve what is going on in the city.”

While Conant was pulling for Hough to win Ward 2, and Minor in Ward 4, he is confident the council will be successful in forging ahead to make the city a better place.

To prepare for his time on the council, Conant has watched the past council meetings and attended several. This will only ramp up more between now and when he enters office in January, he said. He intends to study city infrastructure by speaking with Public Works Director Wes Anderson, and understand why there are priorities between projects.

“I hope to hit the ground running,” Conant said. “In my ward there are some needs that have not been addressed.”