Amanda Grady Sexton, Concord City Council At-Large Candidate

CONCORD, NH — Amanda Grady Sexton

Position sought

City Council At-Large

Family

My husband Adam and I have 3 children

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education and-or work experience

Simmons University, BA. Director of Public Affairs for a NH-based Non-Profit Organization working to advance the rights of victims of crime and their children

Previous or current elected or appointed positions

Member of the State Of NH’s Oversight Commission on Children’s Services; AmeriCorps Victim Assistance Program Member, Chair of Concord NH’s Public Safety Advisory Board; Member of Concord NH's Fiscal Policy Advisory Committee; Member of Concord NH’s Community Development Advisory Board; Member of Concord NH’s Parks and Recreation Committee, Member of Solid Waste Advisory Board; Member of Concord NH’s Rules Committee, Member of Concord NH’s Municipal Housing Committee, Member of Concord NH’s City Manager Review Committee; Member of the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness (Appointed by Governor Lynch and re-appointed by Governors Hassan and Sununu) Mentor with the NH Circle Program; Advisory Committee of the NH Women’s Lobby; Board of Directors of Dress for Success NH, Advisory Committee of the AmeriCorps Victim Assistance Committee, Member of New Hampshire Task Force on Family Law, Member of the New Hampshire Governor’s Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence; Member of the NH Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, Ward 4 City Councilor, At-Large City Councilor

Campaign website

Facebook 603 Amanda

The single most important pressing issue facing the community is _______ and this is what I intend to do about it

Reducing the tax burden. I introduced a proposal for a 0% tax increase this year. My proposal would have empowered department heads to find efficiencies within their own budgets. I believe that every tax dollar should go toward priorities that protect residents and strengthen the long-term health of Concord. Families are making cuts to their own budgets. They expect City Councilors to do the same when it comes to the city budget. These are challenging economic times. Many seniors are struggling to stay in their homes on fixed incomes, young professionals tell me that they can’t afford market-rate rents or homeownership, and too many of our neighbors remain unhoused. But cutting expenses isn't the only way to reduce the tax burden on our residents and businesses. We must also expand our tax base through economic development. The city needs at least $55 million in new quality development to be added to the tax base each year to offset unavoidable increases to our municipal budget (state downshifting of costs, rising municipal employee retirement and healthcare costs, the effects of inflation on local expenses etc.) This will not happen organically. A broader, healthier base helps us maintain services without overburdening taxpayers - and I support strategies that attract and retain businesses. Such examples include streamlining the City's permitting process, keeping infrastructure strong, ensuring workforce housing options, and cultivating an environment where existing and new businesses of all sizes feel welcome, and do not face unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape.The Council has a responsibility to keep Concord affordable and welcoming for all, because a diverse community is a strong community.

List three other things you would like to work on if elected or re-elected

Attract diverse housing opportunities - I would expand housing opportunities so more families, seniors, and young people can afford to live here, while preserving the character that makes Concord unique - from our walkable downtown and historic neighborhoods to our new inclusive playground at White Park, and the trails at Broken Ground and Oak Hill. We can grow responsibly while protecting the green spaces and community assets that residents cherish.
Promote Public Safety - Concord is a safe community overall, but residents and businesses increasingly raise concerns about property crime, substance use, and mental health-related incidents. These issues impact both quality of life and confidence in our business districts. We must ensure the police and fire departments, and especially the police social work program is adequately resourced. We must also strengthen partnerships and collaboration with social services to address root causes. It’s also critical that we partner with our elected officials on the state level to promote policies that fund prevention, ensure accountability, and reduce recidivism.
Reduce Homelessness - Homelessness impacts public safety, businesses, and vulnerable individuals. Strategies should include investments in our police social work program. This program has a proven record of streamlining and coordinating our community service providers and working to help our unhoused find safe housing solutions. We must also encourage our partners on the state and federal levels to advocate for additional resources for Concord to address the issue of homelessness. When individuals are released from the state prisons and our state hospital without adequate housing solutions or wrap-around social services they often end up residing in Concord even when it was not their place of origin.

Name a couple of accomplishments in the past that show you can handle this position

• Worked to pass 15 balanced budgets
• One of my proudest accomplishments during my time on the Council was helping to spearhead revitalization efforts downtown that were aimed at improving safety, accessibility, connectivity, and economic activity in downtown. Concord’s downtown was dramatically improved by this effort. However, revitalization is not a one-time project. In order to keep downtown growing, we must attract new retail businesses and restaurants, housing, address vacancies, and encourage all property and business owners to invest in the downtown community.
• I’m proud of how I worked with colleagues, city staff, and residents to advocate for our police social work program, which has made exceptional progress improving the efficiency of the Police Department and reducing our need for costly additional lew enforcement personnel. The program has been highly effective in addressing homelessness while balancing compassion with accountability, allowing police to focus on keeping our streets safe and traffic managed, and fire to respond to emergencies - including medical calls - rather than doing the work of expert social workers. These conversations around the role of community policing were not always easy, but I focused on bringing stakeholders together and keeping the community’s best interest at the center of the discussion. Residents aren’t interested in seeing divisiveness and grandstanding around the Council table. They want Councilors to work in good faith to build consensus and to get things done.

Share any other thoughts or ideas you would like voters to know about yourself

I made the decision to run for re-election as your At-Large Councilor knowing that I could not turn my back on our City at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges. These are not easy times - for our city or for our country. That’s why Concord needs strong, steady, and proven leadership. I’m committed to protecting taxpayers, preserving the critical services we rely on, and ensuring Concord remains a place where all of us can thrive.
As a mom, a public servant, and a lifelong advocate for victims of crime, I’ve learned how to get things done, improve systems, and make government accessible to everyone. Learning how to effectively navigate local government takes time, and my years of experience at the Council table will be needed as Concord faces major infrastructure decisions, leadership transitions, and growing demands on public safety.
I have a proven track record of fighting for residents and moving projects forward by bringing stakeholders together and building consensus, always keeping the focus on what matters most to our community.
My priorities remain clear:

• Lowering taxes by expanding our tax base and staying laser-focused on core city services
• Improving public safety
• Addressing homelessness
• Supporting our local businesses and attracting new businesses that will invest in our community
• Advancing smart growth policies that both protect our green spaces and promote diverse housing options
• Planning carefully for future infrastructure improvements
• Providing excellent consistent services