The two largest Cities in New Hampshire, Manchester, and Nashua, both have experienced democratic leaders. Nashua elected Mayor Jim Donchess and Manchester elected Mayor Joyce Craig.
Last year, Manchester released updated assessments as part of the DRA required process for maintaining property equity. Manchester saw sharp increases in their assessments due to the rapidly accelerating residential real estate market. The commercial and industrial properties did not rise at the same rate as residential properties which created a tax shift onto the residential properties. This correlated with higher tax bills for many.
Manchester did a good job, early on, trying to prepare property owners for the new assessments. In September 2021, the preliminary tax rate was released in conjunction with the new assessments so property owners would understand the tax implications and save for their December bills. Mayor Craig wisely put all the bad news out to the public at once.
Not once did Mayor Craig blame the state for requiring properties to be assessed fairly. She never stated that if it were her choice, she simply would have chosen not to perform the update. Rather, as expected of a leader, she held forums and supported the work of the contractor and assessing office.
Nashua’s Mayor took a different approach to public relations regarding the new assessments. Nashua saw the same assessment trends as seen in Manchester’s 2021 data. The tax burden shifted to residential properties and many property owners received shocking tax bills.
Nashua’s Mayor did little to prepare the public. No explanatory letter was sent to property owners in the July or December tax bills. Nashua property assessments were released in September, but the Mayor kept the estimated tax rate tight to the vest, choosing non-disclosure. The rate was released in November, when the tax bills were mailed to property owners, leaving little time to scrap together the additional money.
Unlike Mayor Craig, Mayor Donchess repeatedly blamed the state for creating statewide rules to maintain fair and uniform property assessments. The Mayor’s declarations of blame most recently occurred at the November 22, 2022 Board of Alderman Meeting. the Mayor stated:
…The revaluation is a state-mandated State ordered revaluation one that we were required to do following a very detailed set of State rules, state regulations and state laws, now it is not something that I would have chosen to do at this time…
The Mayor’s position to publicly disavow the process of maintaining equitable data leaves Nashua’s assessing office with a credibility and moral problem. Who wants to work for a Mayor who disparages the process and their important work?
Mayor Donchess backed a $303 million, Board approved, City Budget The Mayor’s choice to fund many new projects contributed to a higher tax rate, but this Mayor is masterful at placing the blame elsewhere.
No one likes a bigger tax bill. Mayor Donchess’ tactics to ambush citizens and then blame the state for the process is cowardice. Let’s find a leader for Nashua that knows how to shoulder responsibility.
