Belmont, Belknap District 6
I appreciate all the support I have received over the past decade as I’ve worked to assure good and limited government in New Hampshire. I wish representative O’Hara well as he moves forward in Concord as the voice of the citizens of Belmont.
As we approach the primary I’m oft asked for my opinion on candidates in the Republican primary. I’m grateful that people trust my analysis of the candidates.
We are all getting loads of glossy mailers these days, particularly if you are on one of the various lists of regular voters. Of course, these postcards are mainly sent by those seeking national, or statewide offices.
Often there is less information available for those of us lower down on the ballot. Having served in the statehouse for the past 10 years, I am familiar with many candidates and have personal knowledge of their qualities.
For Governor, I am supporting Karen Testerman. She is a proven reliable conservative candidate with a strong familiarity of NH government.
I’m torn on US senate candidates. Bolduc, Mansharamani, and Smith each have great promise and I’ll gladly support the winner in replacing the current dud.
In CD1 I have endorsed Tim Baxter. I know Tim will NOT become a swamp creature if we send him to D.C.
For state senator I am supporting John Plumer. John has always been one to tell you what he would do, and then follow through with his actions. He is easily the most reliable candidate for state senate.
In state representative district 4, I ask for your vote. I have 10 years of experience in the statehouse, a solid Republican voting record, and the time to commit to the task.
Sheriff Bill Wright has been excellent in the job, a true professional.
Register of Probate is an interesting position. Upon request I’ll detail the history of this office. Cutting to the chase, this is a race for a seat in the Republican party leadership. Marc Abear is the superior choice.
County commissioner is a rather sad elected office, they serve to rubber stamp the actions dictated by the county administrator. Yes, that is a cynical viewpoint, I’ve watched them come and go; nothing changes. Dick Burchell was the last to try to apply a bit of integrity to the office, may he rest in peace. Fran Wendelboe has shown her Republican cred and gets my nod.
Finally, delegates to the state party. Both Doug Trottier and Nikki McCarter will be delegates by virtue of winning their uncontested primary. Both Susan Seaferd and Travis Toner would be good delegates. Only one can get the spot in D4. I recommend writing-in Susan Seaferd in D8. I don’t have any information about Margo Racicot, sorry.
My sample ballot is available if you’d like to print it out or share.
Belmont is buzzing with the release of our new property tax assessments. It is not the happy humming that comes from my bee hives, it’s much more an angry noise of a disturbed hornet nest. As we sit atop a housing market peak the people of town feel like they have been here before. With the new assessments will come a new lower tax rate, which many feel will push up the amount of tax paid on their property. They expect that this will start anew the ratcheting up of the rates going forward.
The Biden plan is to Build Back Better, but in order to build back he has, in short order, wrecked what was a vibrant economy. Spending more money labeled as Inflation Reduction is like eating dessert to lose weight. New Hampshire citizens wisely maintained a solid Republican state government which has buffered the people from the worst damage inflicted by D.C.
Some complain that my attitude of limiting government spending doesn’t allow for plush county services. Many of the hard working people of Belmont know the difficulties of filling the gas tank, paying the electric bill, and if there is a bit left over, buying a bag or two of groceries. They appreciate my service and thank me for taking the flack. I’m happy to do it and will continue to do so in the future.
Many believe that we may be headed for a more serious recession. The county delegation will be meeting on September 1, 2022 to consider raising wages to employees. This will add to the property taxes of Belknap county at a time when people are struggling with Bidenflation. Let your representatives know what you think.
Assessment Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
In a letter on Tuesday, July 5, 2022 my Democrat opponent for state representative in Belmont did his best to misdirect attention away from the disasters of the Biden administration. While he throws insults at the excellent management of our award winning county nursing home, he diverts the public eye from the crisis of health care sweeping the country.
Perhaps the 300 word limit prevented him from trotting out the tired old lie about the insufficient funding for oxygen at the nursing home. To set the record straight, the county delegation sets a budget that doesn’t over-tax its citizens. It was clear in 2021 that occupancy would be reduced in the nursing home due to Covid and a shortage of nurses. The years of experience held by the executive committee paid off in recognizing an extremely fat line in the nursing home budget. While local writers tried to gin up fear of patients lacking oxygen, the reality was that we didn’t cut enough. In the end, the commissioners’ request of $49,800 for oxygen was cut to $39,000. How many residents died from lack of oxygen? Zero. At year end for 2021 only $27,000 was spent on oxygen.
There are plenty of people willing to throw false allegations around. They need not backup their bogus claims. One of the problems in politics is the lack of spine to stand up against bullies and storytellers. This is where experience comes to play; knowing the truth and standing up for the truth. Belknap county delivers quality services to its citizen without putting them in the poorhouse (which ironically was known, in years gone by, as the County Farm).
I am running for re-election to continue putting pressure on bad actors in our state and county government. Those who would prefer to have their politicians turn a blind eye to corruption have recruited a primary opponent. I ask for your support in the September 13, 2022 primary. Please mark your calendar and share with your friends.
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I am happy to have received a vote of confidence from the people of Belmont. I will continue to stand for the limited government our constitution guarantees to us. Together we will maintain the New Hampshire Advantage that makes Belmont such a great place to live.
I also want to thank George Condodemetraky and Don House for their efforts to bring alternative choices to our citizens. Our democratic republic thrives because of competition and we would all be poorer without George and Don. Thank you.
For those who will be voting in person, November 3 will be an exciting day at the Belmont High School. Polls open at 7 AM and close at 7 PM. All the official details can be found at the town’s website and the sample ballot is at the Secretary of States office.
Be sure to come out Tuesday, November 3rd to defend America and the New Hampshire Advantage.
We are counting down the days until the primary and there is good news to report; there are currently no active cases of COVID-19 reported in Belmont by NH Department of Health and Human Services. If you have symptoms of the virus it is best to vote absentee or wear a mask and wash your hands if you go to the polls. The WHO reports “SARS-CoV-2 transmission appears to mainly be spread via droplets and close contact with infected symptomatic cases.”
We should remain vigilant to risk associated with COVID-19 but we do not need to live in fear. I’ll see you Tuesday at the Belmont High School between 7 a.m and 7 p.m.
I’m honored to be included with Governor Sununu in AFP-NH’s first list of endorsed candidates. With your support and vote on September 8th in the Republican primary I’ll have the opportunity to continue my work in Concord.
“The conservative, pro-free-market group Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire is making its first-ever endorsements in political races, backing Gov. Chris Sununu and former Executive Councilor David Wheeler, along with five state House members who are seeking reelection and one former lawmaker looking to return to the House.”
NH Primary Source
In 2012 I was recruited to run for office to serve as state representative for Belmont. At the time, the filing period had closed and Republicans had no candidates for both seats. I was convinced to run, and had the good fortune to meet Dr. Chuck Fink. Together we ran a write-in campaign for the primary election that September. We both shared a desire for a limited government as was beautifully documented in our constitutions. On primary day hundreds of people made the effort to write-in Fink and Sylvia. We went on to win in November, serve the people of Belmont, and become good friends.
This year Republicans are fired up. The past two years with Democrats controlling the house and senate in Concord have shown us what happens when Republicans sit out an election, and that’s not happening this year. The only thing that saved the state from becoming Massachusetts North was the governor and his willingness to risk writer’s cramp vetoing that landslide of horrible legislation.
I am running to serve my fifth term in Concord to continue to hold the line against those seeking to expand government. Over the past 8 years I have gained an in depth knowledge of the legislative process in Concord and I will put it to good use for the citizens of Belmont.
Many new state representatives learn what a county delegation is, only after their election. The primary function of the delegation is appropriating funds required for county operations. Learning the ins and outs of the county budget took a few years. I can now confidently say I know it very well. I consider every dollar spent by the county to be a dollar taken from the person with the least to give. To say I take it seriously is an absolute truism.
Having seen many come and go through the seats in Concord, one thing is clear; those who get re-elected do so because they are true to their word. People may disagree on points here and there but when your actions match your words they cannot question your integrity. I believe I meet this standard.
In 2012 the people of Belmont took a leap of faith on an unknown man willing to make a commitment. In 2018 the Belknap County delegation made me their chairman. On September 8th I ask for your support and your vote in the Republican primary.
