An Open Ward 2 Concord City Council Seat Brings Out Newcomers: Watch

CONCORD, NH — After the November 2023 municipal election, Concord will have a new mayor and at least four new city councilors. One of the new city councilors will be representing Ward 2, after Erle Pierce decided not to run this year.

Michele Horne and Rob Kleiner faced off for a forum Thursday, sponsored by Concord NH, Concord TV, and the New England Take podcast.

Horne said she had lived in the city for about two decades, volunteering for several boards and raising three daughters, all attending Merrimack Valley School District in Penacook. She said her “lived experience” as a single mother with a working-class socio-economic background and working two jobs gave her a different perspective than many others.

Kleiner, a Concord native, has lived in Ward 2 for about 15 years and has two daughters in the MVSD. He works for Northeast Delta Dental, where he is an operations manager and serves on several boards, saying his volunteer work aligned with his values.

Both candidates were concerned about housing, which is at a crisis level in the city.

Kleiner said the city had around a 0.3 percent vacancy rate but it should really be around 5 percent or equivalent to around 2,000 to 5,000 more units.

“If you don’t have that vacancy rate, people can’t find that housing,” he said, “and they end up homeless or they are stuck in a situation that they don’t want to be in (like an abusive household).”

To rectify that, Kleiner would eye policies that keep developers from building in the city.

Horne agreed zoning needed to be changed as well as permitting and red tape issues — noting it should not take an act of Congress to be an accessory dwelling unit for an ailing parent. She also said councilors should make sure the housing that is built is affordable.

“I deal with this at work,” she said, where she works in administration for the IBEW, electrical workers union, “trying to entice people to come to our area to work for us, and they just simply can’t afford to live here even if they can find a place to live.”

The candidates were asked about what more could be done about the exploding homeless crime problem that is frustrating residents with camps on private property likened to hazardous waste sites, human trafficking, drug dealing, and other issues.

Horne said she would focus on housing first and the inability of renters to stay in apartments that were increasing in price. She called on the city’s homeless steering committee to take some actionable items and rewrite the housing plan they came up with 10 years ago. When asked specifically what she would do about the homeless crime problem, Horne said it was important to get them “out of the woods of the community” and added there were career criminals in any community, whether they’re housed or not.

Kleiner said there were two solutions: getting people into housing and supporting police. Currently, there are 19 vacancies in the police department and about nine or 10 in cadet training. He said the department should get the resources it needs to retain and keep officers employed. Kleiner also agreed with revamping the city’s steering committee statement from a decade ago.

With the mayor's exit and at least four new councilors, there will be a lot of new faces who could bring instability to the council.

Kleiner commended Mayor Jim Bouley and also said he would like to have coffee with all the councilors to get to know them. He kept a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order in his bag and is always prepared to answer questions if needed.

Horne said Bouley’s time as mayor was “amazing” and said all of the people that she had met who were candidates “up for the challenge.” She did not perceive there would be an issue with all of them working together.

Horne and Kleiner also answered questions about tax rates, solid waste, the new Beaver Meadow Golf Course clubhouse, economic development to expand the tax base, and whether councilors should be paid more instead of the city providing them child care.

Also Read

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• Stacey Brown, Concord City Council Ward 5 Candidate
• City Of Concord: 2023 Election Info
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• Dennis Soucy, Concord City Council Ward 8 Candidate
• Kassey Cameron, Zone C Concord School Board Candidate
• 5 Concord At Large City Council Candidates Vie For 2 Seats: Watch
• Nathan Fennessy, Concord City Council At Large Candidate
• Some Concord Council Candidate Signs Not In Compliance With NH Law
• Judith Kurtz, Concord City Council At Large Candidate
• Jennifer Kretovic, Concord City Council Ward 3 Candidate
• Rob Kleiner, Concord City Council Ward 2 Candidate
• Matthew Hicks, Concord City Council At Large Candidate
• Kevin Porter, Concord City Council At Large Candidate
• Concord School District Hosts 2 Meetings Concerning New Middle School
• Concord’s Longest-Serving Mayor Named 2023 Citizen Of The Year
• More Concord Candidates Explain Why They Are Running In 2023
• More Concord Council Candidates Jump Into The Fray On Last Filing Day
• As Final Filing Day Approaches, Concord Municipal Races Get Crowded
• New Candidates Emerge For Concord Mayor, City Council, School Board
• Dad Upset About Crossdressing Art Teacher Runs For Concord School Seat
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• Champlin Confirms Concord Mayoral Run; Some Out, Others Thinking
• Second At Large Concord City Councilor Considers Mayoral Run
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• Herschlag: Our Mayor Is Not Seeking Another Term
• Concord’s Longest Serving Mayor Won’t Seek Re-Election In November

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