I am running for state representative in Rockingham District 1, the towns of Candia, Deerfield, Northwood and Nottingham. I will bring my experience with the strengths and challenges of small town government to the legislature. I have served as a selectwoman for Northwood, and on many of the town’s volunteer boards and committees. I have participated in the visioning for the town’s Master Plan, the creation of a public access broadcasting program, and the establishment of the Northwood Farmers Market as a founding member of the market association. I am part of a network of volunteers who keep a local newspaper available on-line and in print.
I bring the perspective of the small rural town to the table. The past decade has been very hard on the smaller communities. Many of our police and firefighters are in the National Guard and have served multiple tours of duty overseas, leaving the towns short-staffed. The ever-increasing cost of education and the funding of schools with property taxes have made young families and the elderly especially vulnerable to economic shocks. Attempts to keep the tax rates down have led to neglect of infrastructure, such as the roads and public buildings which are part of the assets of the community, not to mention the recurring damage from our recent severe weather events. We face threats to our water supplies. And New Hampshire has a lot of small towns like the ones in my district.
One thing that residents of small towns cherish is the rural character of the landscape and the history in every building, barn and stone wall. I have worked for conservation of these priceless assets that make living here very special. Finding ways to do economic development while keeping the character of the communities is a special challenge that I embrace. I am particularly interested in the possibilities of a return to small farms for food security and local jobs.
I would, if elected, work with others to make sure the voice and the values of these communities would be heard, because we are a great deal of what makes New Hampshire New Hampshire. There is more to this state than the “New Hampshire advantage” of our tax structure, and if we do not take care, the “New Hampshire advantage” may cause us to lose exactly what makes this state such a special place to live. We must not let the short-sighted view rob us of a future that holds a great deal of promise for us, our children and our grandchildren, if we can only explore and create new ways of working together to meet our challenges today.
