All but one candidate completed the organization’s extensive survey regarding the state of business and other issues in the city.
CONCORD, NH — In an effort to ensure residents are engaged in the municipal election cycle in Concord this November, the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce tried something new this year — and has released the most comprehensive and extensive candidate surveys the city has probably ever seen, or at least ever seen in many decades.
The questionnaire was compiled by the organization’s Local Government Affairs Committee and features a range of issues and was divided into both open-response and a lightning round of questions. The open response allowed candidates to share their views on key issues, such as city spending or increasing the tax base. In the lightning round, the candidates were asked to respond with a simple “yes” or “no” to other queries, such as whether the city should allow the creation of a homeless camping area or have final say over the SAU 8 Concord School District budget, like many other cities in New Hampshire.
In previous years, the chamber has produced question-and-answer videos in collaboration with Concord TV. Before that, the chamber would host a live candidate forum. But the org ended that practice in 2015.
Tim Sink, the outgoing president of the chamber, said the project was a collaborative effort involving many volunteers who compiled the questions and answers, and staff who designed the site to make it user-friendly. The answers for the competitive races were also compiled into a printed guide and distributed to members.
“At the last chamber strategic planning session, the board of directors discussed ways in which the chamber could become more engaged in city elections,” Sink said. “Local Government Affairs committee chair Jim Bouley proposed stepping up the chamber’s game in informing voters of candidate priorities. His committee took on the creation of the survey. We are grateful for the response of the candidates.”
A handful of candidates refused to answer some of the questions in the lightning round.
Kate West, one of the mayoral candidates, declined to answer two questions — whether to build a new police station or adopt social districts in the city — saying she did not have enough information from experienced individuals and the community to make a definitive decision.
Ward 5 City Councilor Stacey Brown refused to answer any of the questions due to not being allowed the opportunity to give more than a one-word answer.
Ward 9 City Councilor Kris Schultz declined to answer six questions: Whether she supported TIF districts, supported RSA 79-e, supported a new police station, supported a new fire station, whether the city should have six pools and a splash pad, and whether there should be a city-sanctioned homeless camping area.
Only one candidate, Jeff Foote of Ward 10, who is running unopposed, did not fill out the questionnaire. He was out of town at the time and intends to fill it out soon. The chamber will post his answers when it receives them.
To view all the responses, click on this link here.
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