Scott Maltzie, Merrimack County Register Of Probate Candidate

Scott Maltzie

Age (as of Election Day)

62

Position sought (including district number if applicable)

Register of Probate

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

My Wife Beth of 33 years, Foster children Desirae 28 and Shalisa 23

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BS in Business Administration with Minors in Pre-Law and Political Science from Plymouth State. An MBA and MS in Business Education from New Hampshire College (now SNHU) and a Ph.D in Business Administration from Northcentral University.

Occupation

Assistant Professor of Business - 6 years FT, 22 adjunct teaching business and economics courses
High School Business & Computer Teacher - 17.5 years
Marketing Services Manager - 3 years
Assistant Director of the State Energy Conservation Program - 7 years
Program Manager - State Energy Conservation Program - 3 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Chairman, Merrimack County Republican Committee
Zoning Board of Adjustment - Boscawen
Compass Classical Academy, a Chartered Public School - Board of Directors
Trinity Christian School - School Board

Campaign website

Scott4NH.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I have long acted as a servant leader in a variety of capacities. I never had the opportunity to serve in our military, so it is my hope to serve and give back to my community, county, and state that has given me so much and help bring a customer service and business approach to government.

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

Defeating the Ballot Question on a Constitutional Amendment eliminating the Register of Probate position (Please vote NO on Question 1) and restoring the customer service functions of this position.

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

While Jane has been a Register of Probate for many years, I am uniquely qualified for this position at this critical time. I have served for the past four and a half years as Chairman of the Merrimack County Republican Committee. During that time, I have built a number of important relationships with legislators on both sides of the aisle. It is my hope to leverage these relationships to help pass legislation to restore this position. In short, I have experience and abilities that she simply does not.

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 am running to work with our legislative delegation to continue our efforts to restore the Register of Probate customer service duties, in order to reduce the financial burden encountered by many residents upon the death of a family member. I also plan to use the Register of Probate position as a platform to promote estate planning and financial management in order to help our citizens retire with dignity and lessen the burden on loved ones after they pass. I have earned my bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Business Administration and teach these personal finance principles to many students each year.

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

As an administrator and educator for many years, I have the capability to not only serve in this capacity but help raise it to the next level. As an educator, I am uniquely qualified to assist our citizens by helping educate them as to how to navigate this process. In addition, as a teacher of personal finance, I have the ability to help teach and promote sound financial and estate planning that will help our citizens avoid the probate process altogether.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

You can get everything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want. - Zig Ziglar

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

The Register of Probate affects everyone. The Register of Probate was established in the 1880’s by an amendment to the New Hampshire State Constitution. Responsibilities included providing customer service to the residents of New Hampshire, assisting them with filing the necessary information related to deaths in families, and limiting the need for costly attorneys to only the most complicated probate cases.

Unfortunately, in 2011, most of the responsibilities of the New Hampshire Registers of Probate were shifted to the judicial branch of our government, reducing their duties to just one item - the archiving of historical documents. This leaves a significant gap in services that help those in need to complete the probate process during a time of grief that may be the most difficult of their lives.

Currently, residents, who are often elderly, are required to navigate an electronic system in order to do their probate filing. Those unable to do so must now bear the expense of hiring an attorney. Feedback from many New Hampshire residents, after encountering minimal assistance at the courthouse, is that they have been advised to seek an attorney if they are unable to submit the necessary information correctly. If we still had functioning Registers of Probate to help, most residents would not have to deal with attorneys and their associated costly legal fees.

Even worse, on this year’s ballot is a Constitutional Amendment that would eliminate the Register of Probate position altogether. Amendment 1 on the ballot, which will be very unclear to most voters, eliminates the Register of Probate position. I hope you will vote against this Ballot Question and for Scott Maltzie for the Merrimack County Register of Probate.