Ward 1 incumbent stressing experience; his challenger talks of a new voice

LACONIA — The race for Ward 1 City Council is a matchup between an incumbent who has spent his career in public service and a challenger who sees an opportunity to bring a new face to the council.

Councilor Bruce Cheney, who is seeking his third term on the six-member council, is being challenged by Sean Fountain, who is making his first bid for public office.

Both men see their highest priority as promoting policies that will foster the city’s growth in the coming years.

Cheney retired from a 25-year career in law enforcement, including 13 years as Laconia police chief, before moving on to create and then run the state’s 9-1-1 emergency communications system for 24 years, retiring in 2016.

Fountain has spent his career in the aviation field, and currently works as an airline pilot. He served for a time on the Laconia Airport Authority.

Both men are veterans — Cheney in the Marine Corps and Fountain in the Navy.

In explaining his reason for running for re-election, Cheney answered, “I want to see the city grow,” adding that his experience dealing with city issues puts him in a good position to work to see that the city grows in a way that will be beneficial for its residents, both in the near term and the long run.

For Fountain, serving on the council would be a way to give back to the community.

“I was brought up in the area,” he said.

Cheney said three issues that he considers major priorities are the need for affordable housing, the development of the Laconia State School property, and continued improvement of the city’s police and fire/EMS service.

“When I say affordable housing, I’m not talking about subsidized, low-income housing,” Cheney emphasized. “I’m talking about the housing that people who work in the city can afford.”

Increasing middle-class housing opportunities are essential to the city’s future, he stressed.

“We can’t expand if there is no place where these workers can afford to live,” he said.

Fountain also sees expanded housing opportunities as critical to the city’s future.

“We need to draw young, working-class families to the area,” he said.

In addition to expanded housing opportunities, Fountain said that the city’s school system always needs to be a priority.

“They have been stretched thin,” he said.

Cheney said the city’s Police Department needs to be enhanced, especially given the drug and homelessness troubles which the city has been facing, He also supports how the Fire Department deploys its EMS personnel to handle non-urgent medical aid calls.

Fountain acknowledged that if elected he would need to “get up to speed” on a number of challenges which the city is facing.

But he suggests that having someone on the council that would bring a breath of fresh air has its appeal.

“I’m not a politician,” he said. “I’m (running for City Council) to make Laconia a better city.”

For his part, Cheney sees his background — both as a councilor, a law enforcement officer and state agency head — as an asset.

“I have experience in dealing with city issues and use that experience to improve things,” he said. “I’ve seen things over the years. I bring perspective.”