Concord At-Large Councilor Champlin Eyes Mayoral Run

CONCORD, NH — A number of the city’s elected leaders are weighing their options for November in the wake of the decision by Concord Mayor Jim Bouley to step down from the council after serving more than a quarter of a century.

Byron Champlin, a former ward city councilor and current at large city councilor, whose seat is up in November, said he was exploring a run for mayor but had not yet decided.

“I’m thinking about running for the open mayoral seat,” he said. “I’ll decide in the next week or so.”

Fundamentally, Champlin said, “I love the city and I want to give of my time, and that’s why I ran in the first place.” He pointed to expanding economic development, creating housing, which was “desperately needed, not just for the homeless, but for young people and to attract new business,” and focusing on some of the challenges facing law enforcement as issues he would like to tackle. Champlin said Concord deserved “high-quality police protection” and needed to find the right people to fill that vital community role.

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“Whether I run for mayor or another term as an at large councilor,” he said, “those would all be motivating factors.”

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Up in Ward 1, in the village of Penacook, Brent Todd, who was first elected a decade ago, is thinking about another term.

Todd said he was excited about so many of the projects in the village and the work being done — including nearly two dozen streets being repaved and the expansion of development at Exit 17 and the former Concord Monitor parcel. But work on the tannery site, with a second Penacook Landing apartment building and a park on Canal Street, were some of the great successes in the village that would soon be completed.

“By about this time next year,” Todd said, “maybe a little longer, the formerly blighted area is going to look like night and day … I think that’s so important. We have really come a long way.”

Erle Pierce, the Ward 2 city councilor, said he would not be running for mayor and had not yet decided to run for re-election. He was “contemplating a number of options out there,” including possibly moving to another location in the city. Pierce and his wife would like to stay in the city and would like a slightly larger home. But he also did not want to force the city the expense of a special election if he moved out of the ward.

“There’s a lot of stuff in the air,” Pierce said. “I would like to stay on the council. I want to make sure the city continues in the right direction, whatever that is. We just need to do it smartly.”

Pierce expects to decide in early September before signups.

If Pierce stays in the Ward 2 and runs again, he will have at least one challenger.

Robert Kleiner announced on Facebook Wednesday he would be running for the seat.

“I believe in the power of community and the impact that local government can have on our daily lives,” he wrote. “As a lifetime resident of Concord, I am deeply invested in its growth and well-being. I am committed to being your voice on the city council. Your concerns, ideas, and dreams for our neighborhood matter to me. Together, we can address issues that affect us directly and work towards solutions that enhance our quality of life.”

Stacey Brown, from Ward 5, is in her first term as a city councilor and confirmed she would be running again, excited about the prospect of having another two years.

“I absolutely love the job,” she said.

She said that advocating for constituents — whether it was the multi-decade fight concerning the third leg of the Langley Parkway-Northwest Bypass or residents on Loop Road who felt threatened by the violence at a neurological injury group home, was fulfilling. Brown said city staff had also been great, answering all of her questions and helping her understand city financials and other issues. She added even some of the adversarial moments on the board were productive because everyone, even with opposing views, needed to work together to accomplish things for the city. Brown was also excited about all of the work with the Merrimack Greenway Trail, and hoped it would connect Terrill Park to Loudon Road, at some point, toward a goal of building a multi-modal transportation network while trying to cool the city via green infrastructure as well as other issues that have not been brought up on the council previously.

“It’s amazing,” she said, “I’m still learning. But it’s been great.”

Nathan Fennessy, the other at large councilor whose seat is up in November, said he was anticipating running again.

Paula McLaughlin, the Ward 6 city councilor, said she would be running again.

On Monday, Keith Nyhan, the Ward 7 city councilor, said he expected he would also be running again.

Filing by candidates for the mayor’s race, city council, and ward officials will run from Sept. 8 to Sept. 18. The fee is $5 to run for mayor and city council; $1 for a ward official. Filing will be held at the Concord City Clerk’s Office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. On Thursday, the clerk’s office is open until 6 p.m. On the last day of filing, the clerk’s office will be open until 5 p.m.

Candidates can also obtain ballot access via a signature petition drive.

One School Board Member Not Running

Jonathan Weinberg, the Zone B school board member, has decided not to run for another term this November, according to a post on Facebook he emailed to Patch.

Weinberg, who was elected in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic and was active with social justice movements in the city, said he was honored residents of Wards 5, 6, and 7 trusted him in the role during a difficult time for schools in the city. He posted the announcement on Wednesday.

“I have learned more than I could have ever imagined and developed a passion for protecting and expanding access to public education for students in Concord and across New Hampshire,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with constituents and community members at a variety of events, hearing your stories — whether it is Saturday mornings next to the Farmer’s Market, Market Days, the Multicultural Festival, or just walking down the street throughout neighborhoods. I emphatically believe that one of the most effective ways to make change is on a local level and encourage supporters of public education to run for your local school board, wherever you live and regardless of the experiences or knowledge base you believe you need to serve.”

Weinberg said he would continue to be active on the board until another member is seated and encouraged residents to attend public hearings about the middle school project in September.

Two other school board seats, Zone A (Wards 1, 2, 3, and 4) and Zone C (Wards 8, 9, and 10) will also be up for re-election in November. It is unknown at post time if Tom Croteau, who was appointed to finish the term of Kate West after she moved out of the district and was ousted from the board in January, will run again or return to retirement. Brenda Hastings, a former SAU 8 teacher and Concord High School graduate, serves in Zone C. It is unknown if she will be running again.

Patrick Taylor, the school district clerk, told Patch that information about the signup schedule for school board seats will be posted soon.

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