Earlier this week, I sent a list of questions to all four candidates in the race for Mayor of Rochester, New Hampshire. Given who is running, the unique situations in that corner of the state, and a flurry of interest from several readers, it seemed like something worth doing.
Of the four, only two responded, which is, in itself, an answer.
Anyway.
The candidates for mayor are Matt Mayberry, Peter Lachapelle, Douglas Robbins, and Chuck Grassie.
The questions.
- 1. Do you support state control of zoning or local zoning control?
- 2. Do you support a Tax cap?
- 3. What is your plan, if any, to lower property taxes?
- 4. How “affordable housing” will get done without raising taxes?
- 5. Your definition of “affordable” housing?
- 6. Do you support boys in girls locker rooms and rest rooms at Spaulding?
- 7. Your position on age inappropriate books in the Rochester schools?
- 8. What is your stand on conservation? How do you plan on saving farmland and open space or do you want them developed?
- 9. Plans for fairgrounds?
- 10. Plans for sky Haven?
- 11. EPA contract regulations for the city’s wastewater treatment plant. How do you plan on paying for it? Do you support a “rain tax” aka stormwater utility to pay for this?
Doug Robbins responded first.
- 1. Zoning decisions belong with the people who live here—not unelected boards or bureaucrats in Concord. I support local control and transparency in planning and development.
- 2. Yes. I support a tax cap to protect property owners, especially seniors and working families, from being taxed out of their homes
- 3. I will audit our city budget for inefficiencies, freeze non-essential hiring, and focus on growing private sector jobs that contribute to the tax base without burdening taxpayers
- 4. We can incentivize affordable housing development without local tax hikes by leveraging grants and private investment—while ensuring developments reflect Rochester’s character
- 5. Affordable means a young family or senior on a fixed income can live here without being overburdened. We need housing for working-class residents—not just government-defined quotas.
- 6. I do not support biological males using girls’ locker rooms or restrooms. We need policies that respect everyone but also protect student safety and privacy
- 7. Parents should know what their kids are reading. I support a full review of library materials and age-appropriate standards that reflect community values
- 8. We must protect Rochester’s rural roots. I will work to preserve open space through easements and smart zoning that respects our farmland and forests.
- 9. The fairgrounds are part of Rochester’s identity. I support enhancing community use while protecting it from overdevelopment
- 10. Skyhaven has potential as an economic driver, but expansion must be thoughtful and in line with what’s best for our city and nearby neighborhoods.
- 11. I do not support a ‘rain tax.’ We must meet EPA standards, but we’ll pursue federal funding, low-interest loans, and efficient project management instead of burdening homeowners with another fee.
Matt Mayberry responded yesterday,
1. Do you support state control of zoning or local zoning control?
I believe that The City of Rochester has done a great job balancing the need to protect its character with the need to keep the community affordable for longtime residents. Our local zoning laws, that have been crafted over decades, are a big part of that. Rochester is a historic city with great bones and many older structures and buildings. As the seacoast continues to see a boom in population, we have the opportunity to broaden our property tax base by restoring older buildings and bringing in new businesses. This will lead to lower property taxes for every homeowner.
2. Do you support a Tax cap?
I support the Tax cap 100%. In fact I think we need to strengthen the tax cap. I will fight for more transparency and make it harder to break it. For example, I think there should be a mandatory roll call on any vote to break the tax cap, I think it should require a 2/3 majority, and I think there should be a mandatory public notice if there is going to be a vote to break the tax cap to make sure Rochester residents know what their elected leaders are up to.
3. What is your plan, if any, to lower property taxes?
First things first, we need to roll back the devastating assessments from last year that doubled and, in some cases, tripled our property tax bills. My property tax bill doubled. That’s just unacceptable and unsustainable. We need to do a few things on property taxes:
1. Roll back the assessments that jacked up our taxes.
2. Increase the property tax credit for seniors and veterans. They are the ones being hurt the most.
3. We should look at an assessment cap in addition to our tax cap, and limit how drastic these assessments can increase year over year especially for low income seniors.
4. We need to expand and diversify the tax base. We simply cannot keep raising property taxes on homeowners. I want to focus on bringing in manufacturing, high tech and biotech businesses into Rochester. We have a lot of underutilized locations like SkyHaven Airport that would be perfect to attract these type of employers that will bring in high paying jobs and an increased tax base.
5. And lastly, but most importantly – the city needs to learn how to budget the way working families do, starting with the essentials and learning how to be more frugal. Our city needs to think like Market Basket, not Whole Foods.
4. How “affordable housing” will get done without raising taxes?
First, I don’t like the phrase “affordable housing” I prefer “attainable housing.” As a city we need to cut the red tape and bureaucratic burdens that get in the way of private property rights and let market forces work. One taxpayer told me that it took him three weeks to get a building permit to replace his roof, that’s not right. It should take hours not weeks to get a permit. The even more important point: why should you even need a permit to replace your roof? Cut the red tape. We need more housing for first time home buyers, so they can experience the American Dream, that will reduce some of the pressures on the rental market and help get the younger generation out of their parents’ basements. But we aren’t going to get there by subsidizing housing or raising taxes.
5. Your definition of “affordable” housing?
My belief is that in a capitalistic society, prices of all goods and commodities, including housing, should be determined by the laws of supply and demand. In the housing space, we’ve seen the phrase “affordable housing” has become a loaded term applied by politicians to any number of things. I prefer the phrase “attainable housing,” meaning homes that are within the budget of the prospective buyer.
6. Do you support boys in girls locker rooms and rest rooms at Spaulding?
One of the very first things I will do as Mayor of Rochester is to require bathrooms and locker rooms in all schools and municipal buildings be based on biological sex. Boys should not be in girls bathrooms, locker rooms or sports teams.
7. Your position on age inappropriate books in the Rochester schools?
Our schools exist to teach children, not sexualize or indoctrinate them. What’s happening in too many schools today is unacceptable. Books and graphic novels like “Genderqueer” that contain explicit sexual imagery and content have no place in our schools. If a book can’t be read out loud at a school board meeting without people walking out in disgust, it doesn’t belong in a classroom or school library.
Parents deserve full transparency and the final say in what their children are exposed to.
Furthermore, I think textbooks and curriculum that support, or teach Critical Race Theory and DEI should also be removed from the classroom. Rochester students should never be taught that one race or segment of the population is superior or inferior to another. Just a few weeks ago there was a news story about several NH elementary and middle schools using a visual aide in the form of a cartoon style “gender elephant” to try and teach these very young kids about “all genders” and choosing their “identity.” This isn’t just wrong, it’s disgusting and I won’t allow it in Rochester.
8. What is your stand on conservation? How do you plan on saving farmland and open space or do you want them developed?
I am a strong believer in protecting the property rights of individual home owners. Property rights are one of the foundations of a strong democratic government. It is my belief that every regulation and rule takes a little bit of those property rights away from the owner, so we need to be very careful in what and where we implement new governmental regulations. I will do everything in my power to defer decisions regarding real property to the owners of the land.
I have publicly stated that one of my first acts as mayor will be the creation of an Agricultural Commission. This will be an advisory commission offering advice and suggestions in areas of rezoning, land use and continued conservation measures.
During my time on the Dover City Council, over 20 years ago, I consistently voted to purchase conservation easements on large parcels within Dover. During my time there, I was part of the efforts to preserve over 350 acres from development but adding public access including trails. If taxpayer funds are used to preserve land then the public should have a right to recreate and enjoy those same open lands.
9. Plans for fairgrounds?
This is private land owned by shareholders, not the city. RAMA and the City have been fighting far too long. I will bring the parties together and cool the tempers. I, personally, would love to see a performing arts center with events and concerts. It would be great to have a park that is connected to the downtown via the riverwalk. I support keeping the Rochester Fair intact with everyone working together. This could be a creative economic engine if we get the city out of the way.
10. Plans for sky Haven?
Skyhaven Airport is 195 acres of opportunity that currently serves as a private club for 80 private plane hobbyists. Skyhaven Airport is paid for by NH taxpayers. This is an underutilized public asset that currently loses money. We need to do better. Let’s create high tech, microchip and pharmaceutical manufacturing and medical research labs.
I serve on the Rochester Economic Development Committee. I know there are companies looking to move to Rochester, we simply need to have parcels large enough to support their relocation. Beyond Skyhaven Airport is the larger issue of infrastructure. I have long believed that good roads and strong bridges bring economic opportunities for Rochester and New Hampshire.
Rochester is open for business…and manufacturing, and distribution, and medical technology, and microchip development and so much more.
11. EPA contract regulations for the city’s wastewater treatment plant. How do you plan on paying for it? Do you support a “rain tax” aka stormwater utility to pay for this?
I do not and will not support a “rain tax” or any other new taxes, period. My top priority as Mayor will be to watch out for the taxpayers of Rochester. City government needs to live within its means and not spend endlessly on the backs of its residents. Rochester has the opportunity to attract new businesses into our city to broaden our tax base. This is the direct that we should move in rather than take more money out the pockets of hard working Rochester families.
Neither Lachapelle nor Grassie responded in time for publication, nor do I expect either will. So, Rochester, these are the candidates and answers we received. And maybe these are not issues you care about or that were on your radar (though they should be, or perhaps they are, and you don’t like the answers).
We’re not endorsing or judging (though we may later), and at this point, we are just trying to help you understand where these candidates stand on the issues we heard about from Rochester voters.
Take them as you will and vote accordingly on November 4th.
