Brent Todd, Concord City Council Ward 1 Candidate

Brent Todd

Age (as of Election Day)

59

Position sought (including district number if applicable)

City Councilor, Ward 1

Party Affiliation

We’re fortunate that the City Council election process in Concord is non-partisan, and should strive to keep it that way.

Family

I’ve been married to my wife Althea for 30 years and we have two children, Clark and Glen.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

BA college degree.

Occupation

Risk analyst for Electric Insurance Co., subsidiary of General Electric, 16 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Ward 1 City Councilor since 2014.

Campaign website

brenttoddconcord.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I’d like to keep working on the progress we’ve made. Penacook needs sound, knowledgeable leadership and visionary long-term planning as we continue to grow and prosper.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Housing, economic development, and quality-of-life issues all go hand-in-hand. I plan to encourage more housing options to spur on additional economic development, such as the proposal for housing at Monitor Way on an extension of Whitney Road. More housing, including affordable housing, helps combat potential homelessness. It also leads to more customers for existing local businesses, and increased foot traffic leads to filling vacant storefronts. In turn, adding new businesses leads to more local job opportunities, and this ties in with economic development and sustainability. New businesses at Whitney Road, Thirty Pines, and downtown Penacook increase our tax base, helping to keep taxes low. Additional dollars from tax base expansion can be put toward support for essential services and to develop ways to augment our Police and Fire Departments, which is vital to maintaining safety and quality of life.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

There are no other candidates seeking the Ward 1 Councilor seat this election. However, I have over 20 years of volunteer work and proven effective leadership in the community, including:
• Concord City Councilor for Ward 1, 2014 to present: re-elected four times.
• Current chair of the Parking Committee, Council representative to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee and the Transportation Policy Advisory Committee (TPAC) (member since 2008), and member of the TPAC Public Transportation Subcommittee (since 2008).
• Penacook Village Association (PVA) founding member and Board member, 2008 to present: I support the PVA’s efforts to maintain and revitalize community events, bring community forum discussions to Penacook, and work with the City on projects effecting Penacook.
• Penacook Historical Society (PHS), member: I volunteer for and support the efforts of the PHS to foster appreciation for the history of the village and vicinity of Penacook.
• Concord 250, founder and Board President: I founded Concord 250, a non-profit organization, to support and promote the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the City of Concord in 2015 for the benefit of all residents, guests and friends of the City.
• Vision for Concord 2020, Board President: I led Concord 2020, a citizen involvement group supporting a smart growth vision in Concord, NH: a vibrant, livable downtown; neighborhoods served by walkable villages; preservation and access to the natural environment; economic vitality; and transportation that serves the community.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I have consistently supported our essential services, such as police, fire, and transportation, and I continue to support our branch library and CAT bus service. I support the Merrimack River Greenway Trail and the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail to further add to our existing network of trails, and for the potential benefits it will bring to Penacook. I support the Conservation Commission and Heritage Commission goals for preservation of our natural and historic resources. I support continuing efforts of the strategic plan for achieving 100% renewable energy goals in Concord to help reduce our carbon footprint, to embrace greener energy solutions, and to lower costs for residents. I support continuing review of City ordinances, policies and procedures to ensure belonging, diversity and inclusivity for all Concord residents.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

By partnering with my fellow Councilors, City Staff, the community, property owners and others we've been able to achieve the following in the last two years:
• The new Market Basket and other stores have opened at Merchants Way on Whitney Road, providing local shopping options and also job opportunities for our community. Jersey Mike's Subs is now open at 4 Merchants Way, Service Credit Union is at 8 Merchants Way, and Starbucks is under construction at 8 Whitney Road, across from Wendy's Restaurant. Planning for additional development continues.
• New business tenants are moving from downtown Concord into downtown Penacook (Strings & Things Music, Warren Street Architects).
• New affordable and market-rate apartments have been built and are under construction.
• Over two dozen of our local streets have been revitalized.
• Local Fire Department services have been augmented with an additional ambulance.
• Construction has commenced by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central NH on a new Penacook Community Center, with childcare and space for our Branch Library; we expect construction to be completed July 2024.
• Planning has completed for our new park on Canal Street; construction should start early next Spring and finish up in late Summer or Fall of 2024.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Honesty and hard work always lead to the best results.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I want to continue fiscal responsibility and keep working on the accomplishments noted above. These are long-term investments, which are a crucial part of keeping tax rates low and quality of life high.

City taxes make up approximately one-third of our total tax bill (the rest goes to schools, the County, and State education). The city tax portion is $2,840 annually on a property valued at $300,000. About 94% of that goes toward four expenditures: Concord Police ($866), Concord Fire ($758), General Services ($600) (which includes road maintenance and winter maintenance), and Debt Service ($441) (which is principal and interest payments on bonds issued by the City to fund Capital Projects). By comparison, the annual amount of our taxes that goes toward operations and capital improvements for facilities unique to Concord is far less: Beaver Meadow Golf Course ($7), Everett Arena ($0), our many public swimming pools ($30). Future potential projects, such as the new golf course clubhouse and arena and pools improvements, will have lower moderate tax impacts similar to the these.

My job as Councilor is to try to strike a balance between needs and wants, and maintain efforts to keep taxes affordable to all, including those on fixed incomes.

I’m proud that Penacook has led the way on key issues that face our city, such as tax base expansion and housing. I’m running for re-election to keep up the momentum on our successes, but I also look forward to working on the challenges we face, such as:
• Increasing the number of Concord Police officers, which also will mean investing more dollars into efforts that will help attract and retain officers, so that we can continue to provide services needed and help combat the opioid and methamphetamine crisis.
• Reviewing and planning for needs for new Police and Fire Department headquarters.
• Continuing efforts to create housing and services for people who are experiencing homelessness.
• Amending our zoning regulations, which can generate positive change to our housing crisis, to be followed by work on a new City Master Plan.
• Creating a comprehensive plan related to trash disposal to educate on ways to reduce, reuse and recycle as we face increased fixed costs in coming years.
• Promoting and improving our Complete Streets initiative for multiple choices of safe transportation modes (walking, bicycling, public transportation), and our trails initiatives.
• Improving economic vitality by making Concord a visitors' destination, through highlighting historic preservation and heritage and supporting the Abbot-Downing Historical Society's Concord Coach museum venture.
• Bringing members of our community together to continue to discuss how we can make Concord even more welcoming to all.

I look forward as always to hearing from the community about your priorities and concerns.