Herschlag: Concord's Mayor Wants A Four Year Term

Concord’s mayor recently sat down for an interview with the Concord Monitor.

The interview starts with the mayor wishing he had a four-year term instead of the two years as allowed in the city’s charter.

The mayor envisions more spending and higher property taxes, he says this is why we need “consistent leadership and he should have a four year term. He talks about the master plan, the new police station, property taxes and city employee compensation for reasons he needs to be reelected.

The mayor is disappointed new residential development in Penacook won’t have Fisherville Road looking like Loudon Road. He is disappointed that developers — at the urging of city staff — aren’t allowed to violate the maximum density allowed in our zoning code. Yet he is silent on the expenditure of $200,000 and the scrubbing from the city’s website of a proposed zoning code that would have allowed for greater density.

The mayor complains city council issues aren’t ironed out behind closed doors, recalling fondly the “old boys network” under our previous mayor. He is offended one or two councilors would dare to ask questions that offer an opposing opinion. He associates questioning of spending your tax dollars as “theater.”

Champlin acknowledges the costs to the city for new housing and then, with sleight of hand, blames any tax increases for next year on new city employee contracts. And yet, regardless of how much money we spend on city employees, they are still fleeing the city. Why? Because if you are a cop or firefighter, the stress of the job due to open positions and overtime is unsustainable.

He preemptively criticizes the city council for any pushback on increasing next year's budget and raising our taxes. He blames former mayor Vereneau for the need to increase taxes.

But hasn’t it been 25 years since Vereneau was mayor? Didn’t the previous mayor serve on the council for 26 years, 16 as mayor? How shameful to blame our current budget woes on a deceased and honorable man who only cared about the best interests of the city, not improving his company’s bottom line or sating his ego.

The mayor stated he “hoped that we would have more business development in my first two years.” He restates his mantra that housing density is the magic bullet that will cure all our ills. But no matter how many people move to Concord, there is no guarantee that more businesses will locate here.

He bases progress on homelessness with more committee meetings, forming sub-committees, and hiring a homeless coordinator, even though he states, “I’m not sure how successful that coordinator will be, but I’m willing to take a shot at it.”

A lack of progress on attracting new businesses, on homelessness, and a reassessment of city properties that will result in shifting a greater percentage of the tax burden to residential property owners. A shift that will see those least able to pay higher property taxes with the highest increases. And increasing next years budget resulting in higher property taxes for all.

There are more than 25,000 registered voters in Concord who are eligible to run for mayor or the city council. Is this the best we can do? Four years for this mayor are two too many.