Jim Schlosser, Concord City Council Ward 7 Candidate

Jim Schlosser

Age (as of Election Day)

71

Position sought (including district number if applicable)

Ward 7 City Council

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Wife, Laurie Meyer Schlosser

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BA Cornell University, College Scholar; MD SUNY Upstate Medical Center; MBA University of Chicago in Quality, Productivity and Statistics

Occupation

Physician, retired with 40 years experience as a primary care physician and health system leader. I served Veterans for 19 years in the Veterans Health Administration.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

jim4concord.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking Ward 7 City Council office to stand up and speak up for my values--compassion, equity and sustainability. I am committed to frequent, open communication with Ward 7 residents. I will work to consciously evolve solutions that meet the needs and values of all.

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

Housing.
Talking with residents in Ward 7 it is clear. For renters, rents are increasing. For homeowners, real estate taxes are increasing. It is difficult for people to find affordable homes. We need more housing–of all types: market rate housing, workforce housing, starter homes for young families, senior housing, affordable housing and, for some disabled people, supportive housing. Experience from other communities shows that increased housing can moderate area-wide cost of living increases.

How can our city promote more housing? I know of two main ways. I’m sure there are more.

First, we can swiftly enact the new ConcordNEXT form-based zoning code. We can allow for accessory dwelling units to promote increased density. Denser housing is more climate friendly. We can speed the approval process for homeowners and developers. For anyone trying to add an accessory unit or develop a housing project, time is money.

Second, the city can take a more active leadership role to ensure sufficient housing is developed. If private projects cannot deliver enough housing, then city government, private developers and nonprofits can work together to design and finance housing projects. We can collaborate actively and openly to generate the housing our community needs.

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

I am committed to frequent and open communication with Ward 7 residents. I will promote more innovation and broader collaboration among business, nonprofits and community residents.

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.

Homelessness
Homelessness is a key issue for Ward 7. Recent incidents in our parks and wooded areas highlight the problems of people with no place to live…but tents. The safety of residents and our children is paramount. I applaud the increased cooperation and communication between Concord Police and homeless outreach workers to identify and engage encampments. Residents are invited to report problems by contacting the Concord Police or emailing Capital Area Street Outreach workers at casoc@capbm.org.

Homelessness is solvable. Communities across the country have achieved functional zero homelessness for specific populations (e.g Veterans, persons with chronic homelessness, etc.). This doesn’t mean homelessness never happens, but that it is rare and brief. Key ingredients of a homelessness management system include 1) a community-wide shared aim to end homelessness with shared accountability and with progress measured at the community level, not just “my program;” 2) improved “real-time” community wide data updated at least monthly; 3) a transparent system with small scale tests of change that, if successful, can be scaled up rapidly; and 4) flexible housing and service funding deployed strategically.

And of course, increased affordable housing is a key element to preventing and ending homelessness.

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

I have led a life of service. I have managed multi-million dollar clinical budgets. I am a trained facilitator and have facilitated improvement teams across the country in the public and private sector. The Veterans Administration has demonstrated remarkable accomplishments in reducing Veteran homelessness by setting a measurable goal, mobilizing innovation and funding, and holding leaders accountable for progress. We can learn from them and other communities across the country that have achieved functional zero homelessness for specific populations.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

We all have limited time on this planet. I was advised to "make the most of my turn" before the next generation steps forward. I want to leave Concord the better for my children and even to the 7th generation of children that come after us.

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

I love to garden. I am a NH Master Gardener and volunteer at the Sycamore Community Garden at NHTI. I serve on the boards of the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord. A life of service and leadership is who I am.