Minor challenges Haynes in Ward 4 city council race

LACONIA — A pair of lifelong city residents are going head to head in the Ward 4 council race, with Councilor Mark Haynes vying for a fifth term against Rep. Sheri Minor (R-Laconia) in the Tuesday, Nov. 4 election.

Mark S. Haynes

Haynes is no stranger to serving the city, as the resident of Ward 4 has served as the moderator, a selectman, and has served four terms on the council since 2017.

“I have lived here all my life, and I chuckle when I tell people I am a native, because I actually own the house I grew up in,” Haynes said.

Haynes is retired, but spent many years as the facilities manager at the Laconia Clinic. Previously, he worked for the Town of Meredith for 15 years, starting as an administrative assistant to the town manager, then working his way up to assistant public works director, and finally the director of public works. He also worked at what was once called Belknap Bank.

Haynes said the good thing about being in the city for so long, notably serving as the moderator for 17 years, is that people know him, see him, and have heard his concerns. He recognizes the city needs to face its infrastructure problem, and said there needs to be a new public works complex.

“People aren’t going to like it, but we need to purchase some land for this massive building,” Haynes said. “There are a lot of challenges, because the city doesn’t own any property that would come close to fitting that.”

There is a need for affordable housing, but he said this will inevitably be money-driven. He spoke with an engineer about square footage to build a home, who responded with “good luck.”

“Until there are incentives from the state or federal government, housing will market driven,” he said. “I hate to say it, but that is reality. Let’s face it, money drives everything.”

Homelessness is a situation every city is facing nationwide, and not just germane to Laconia, he said. Haynes feels local agencies have done a good job.

“The word is 'control,'” Haynes said. “It’s not going to go away.”

Haynes said some people fail to realize that issues like parking, drainage and other day-to-day concerns arise for councilors.

“It’s not as simple as sitting at the council table every two weeks,” he said.

Haynes said this election has been full of buzz words like “transparency” and “leadership,” but notes they are often dropped by people who have never governed.

“When the election is over, they will have to put their money where their mouth is.”

Haynes has been monitoring letters to the editor and stories about candidates, and he noted one candidate recently said they need to stop handing out blankets and tents.

“Do you think councilors will go to Isaiah and tell them to stop helping people?” Haynes said. “I don’t think so. It’s political, self-serving dialogue. They say what people want to hear, and that is not government.”

Haynes said there has been plenty of good done by the current council, including two new ambulances and a ladder truck for the fire department, grants awarded to the police department, and looking at city employee wages, while all the while staying under the tax cap.

However, Haynes said there is always room for improvement. He said the council needs to reach out to people about issues, but they also need to be reached out to. For example, he said there are all kinds of concerns floating around, but when they passed the multi-million-dollar city budget, the only one in the room during proceedings was the press.

Issues seem to be vocalized during election cycles, but he asked where these people are otherwise.

“If you want good government, you have to have participation, and not just when it is good for you,” Haynes said.

Haynes takes pride in being able to listen and learn to form decisions and conclusions, and said it doesn’t always mean being the most vocal.

Currently, there are six councilors who come from all walks of life, adding different perspectives to the conversation, and he would like that to remain.

“Do we really want the Legislature and Concord running our city government?” Haynes said. “That is what it is going to come down to, and I see how the delegation operates: by party and by a boss. Let’s leave it to the voters to what type of government they want.”

Sheri Minor

The mother of three children and a grandmother of two, Minor has always been involved in the community one way or another. Her compassion, as well as a variety of life experience, are why she feels she is the best choice for Ward 4.

“I like to be involved, and I can’t sit and complain and not do anything.”

Minor is a state representative and lifelong resident of Laconia who formerly worked in the Belknap County House of Corrections, before becoming the president of DRM Corporation, which includes apartments, houses, mobile home parks, and other rental properties.

Minor also has experience in nonprofit work, saying she has been a speaker at Lakes Region Community Services and Belknap House.

Minor lives in the south end of the city, and said the homeless issue is bad and has gotten worse in recent years. She and her fellow neighbors have been struggling with it, and have been trying to make sure their general vicinity stays clear and safe.

“I was unhappy with the way things have been handled,” Minor said. “I work in the courts as a bailiff, so I see a lot. Homelessness is essentially what prompted me to run.”

Minor said she has no problem helping people, but isn’t a big fan of handouts, and says there must be a better tactic.

“They need to be held accountable,” Minor said. “That has to be No. 1, and where we start.”

Minor has spoken to shelters and people in the city struggling, and while she said there is no true end-all solution yet, there are ways to start the alleviation process. She pointed out there is a range of homelessness, and some are people who don’t want to work. Others suffer from mental illness and need to use services offered by the city.

Affordable housing is another hot-button issue. Unlike even a few months ago, Minor has been seeing vacancies, and hopes this means they can be filled with people who need a place to live.

As a state representative, Minor is on the housing committee, which she said fits her background, and could be helpful if elected to the city council, as well. Her background in real estate could also be of help, and she said some of the properties they handled were lower income.

Minor said she has spent time with people in every avenue of her life, whether it was as a bartender, serving in the Statehouse, or working at the jail, where she spoke with inmates about why they were there, and how they want to change.

“I am good at working with people, and seeing different outlooks on things.”

Minor also said there are the everyday needs of the city to be addressed, like streets being repaired, and keeping local businesses thriving. She said her parents grew up in Laconia, as did she and her children, and she wants what is best for her constituents. She misses the days when children could just go down by the river to cast a fishing line, and hopes for a time when this can be the case for her grandchildren.

“We can make a change,” she said. “I don’t want people to have to worry about homelessness and finding needles all over the place.”

Minor was also prompted to run because she has been appalled by some of the conduct of an unnamed councilor during meetings that she has seen. If elected, she will make sure this doesn’t continue.

“There are things that I want to fix,” Minor said. “I have lived here my whole life, and I love this city.”