Hodges touts budget background, while Leadbeater focuses on relationships in race for District 3 County Commissioner

LACONIA — Two highly experienced public servants are running for District 3’s county commission seat. Former Belknap County Sheriff Steven Hodges is running on the Republican ticket against Democrat Eliza Leadbeater, founder of the Belknap County Economic Development Committee.

Both candidates have decades of experience in and around county government, and have even worked together in the past. Whichever candidate wins will replace Hunter Taylor as county commissioner.

“This county means a lot to me and in recent times, particularly the impact the county delegation has had on county services,” Leadbeater said of her reason to run, citing budget slashing to services like the corrections department and nursing home. “I truly am committed. We had a great quality of life. [Belknap County was] the first in a lot of things in the '90s. We had a quality of service, too. I want to preserve some of these services and bring some back and continue to enhance them.”

Leadbeater cited her foundational role in the Belknap County Economic Development Council, along with the relationships and work within that organization, as a keystone in her list of qualifications.

“It's about partnerships,” Leadbeater said. “That's what I want to get back as commissioner.”

Taylor thinks voters won't be disappointed, no matter the outcome of the election.

“I will have been county commissioner for eight years at the end of this, and I think that’s more than enough,” Taylor said. “I’m pleased that both of the people who are running are both highly qualified and that the county will be in good shape with whoever wins.”

Hodges talked about what sets him apart from Leadbeater. 

“I have an extensive background in county government budgets, business practices, policies and procedures, I have a real working knowledge of how the county works,” Hodges said. “I can go in day one and be effective right off the bat, helping get us back on track and keep county government strong and functioning.”

Hodges is also no stranger to forming relationships and working within county government thanks to his 14 years serving as sheriff.

“Because of my experience with county government I have an appreciation of county services,” Hodges said, calling county government “one of the best-kept secrets.”

“People just don't realize just how it touches everyone's life and how important it is,” Hodges said. “Looking at what's going on with depleted funding with the jail, the sheriff’s department and the nursing home, I’d like to get in there and restore people’s faith in county government.”

Years of budget slashing has resulted in Belknap County being the lowest-taxed county in the state. But to both candidates, this isn’t necessarily a good thing.

“We do have the lowest taxes but we're cutting services,” Leadbeater said, citing the reduced capacity of the nursing home, and the cuts to programs that helped people being released from jail find employment and learn life skills. “We're not saving if it's costing us at the other end.”

Hodges stressed his conservative commitment to saving money.

“I’m a conservative Republican and I want to watch out for taxes but I don’t want to be pennywise and pound foolish where it’s going to cost money in the future,” Hodges said. “It doesn’t always save you money to cut services. Eventually it's going to catch up to you. It's caught up to us now with the jail.”

Both candidates listed the nursing home as a high priority.

“We have a nursing home that takes 96 patients,” Leadbeater said. “There's 54 or 56 in there right now, and there's a waiting list of over 100. When it's fully occupied it pays for itself with the Medicare program.”

“Number one is the nursing home,” Hodges said of his priorities. “I think that’s an important priority and seeing that we address the pay issues in all the other county departments to keep them up and functioning for the residents.”

Leadbeater stressed that the county has a responsibility to its senior citizens, as well as helping to fund various youth and mental health programs which have also faced severe cuts.

“Not everyone can afford these private [nursing] homes,” Leadbeater said. “When Medicare and all your assets run out, there’s no place for you to go.”

For the last few years, the relationship between the county delegation and commissioners was fraught with friction, peppered by disagreements over budgets.

“I think that the primary obstacles to good government have largely been removed from the delegation through the primary,” Taylor said.

“I think you can see [the relationship] starting to mend already because of the vote that happened with this same delegation,” Hodges said, citing the recent agreement to increase pay for corrections officers. “That got passed to put more money in the jail to bring the pay scale up to make them more competitive. I think it’s going to continue with the nursing home, getting us up to full bed capacity. Getting that place up to full capacity is my goal.”

As for Taylor, he’s hoping to enjoy what the Granite State has to offer once he leaves his role.

“I retired from law and came to New Hampshire to hike, kayak and read, and I’ve grown pretty old while waiting to do what I came here for,” Taylor joked. “I’d like to enjoy some of those things. I won’t completely disappear from civic activity. I will say that.”

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 8.