Soucy Tries One More Time For Ward 8 Concord City Council Seat

CONCORD, NH — Veteran, 35-plus year resident of Ward 8, cancer survivor, point person for neighbors, and trash picker-upper. Dennis Soucy of the Concord Heights has been through everything and done just about everything for his neck of the city. Except, of course, getting elected to a political office, despite numerous times trying and getting really close, too.

Which is why he is giving the Ward 8 Concord City Council seat one more try.

"This will be the last one," Soucy said of his 2019 council race.

This will be the third rematch between the Russell Street resident and Gail Matson, after they both faced off for what was, for a short period of time, an open seat in 2013. Then-Ward 8 Concord City Councilor Dick Patten decided not to run and his long-time friend Soucy filed. Matson also filed. But then Patten changed his mind after the $5 fee filing period and friends collected 50 signatures to get him on the ballot.

After the votes were cast and counted, Matson squeaked out a 10-vote win over Soucy with Patten placing third.

Read all of Concord NH Patch's election coverage inside our 2019 Concord Election Guide.

Soucy challenge Matson in 2015 and lost by 69 votes; in 2017, it was 135 votes. He has also run unsuccessfully for the Ward 8 state representative seat. Patten has endorsed Soucy on his run for the council seat.

One of the things that has frustrated Soucy is the lack of voter turnout, especially amongst his friends and neighbors, while they are facing so many issues in Ward 8. The ward runs from the Merrimack River along the city's border with Bow up to the Gov. Meldrim Thomson Jr. state office complex and the southern side of Loudon Road east to Pembroke and Chichester. As far as turnout goes, the ward is right in the middle of the pack – not as good as some wards but better than others. But Soucy has sometimes been approached by people at church or restaurants asking how he did in a previous race – only to find out that some of his friends didn't bother to vote. Which is why he wasn't going to run again.

"I really don't need it," he said. "I don't need the aggravation.

At the same time, many in the ward are unable to get responses from the city, from their ward councilor or state representative, he said. They often come to him to get information including issues about water and sewer, illegal camping, traffic problems, and a recent meth lab and drug bust in the neighborhood that no one knew about.

Soucy and his wife are often seen cleaning up trash along Airport and Pembroke roads almost as if they were amateur beautificationers. Between the volunteer work, and other activities, which, he said, it almost made him like a defacto representative of the Ward.

"People just want to know information," Soucy said, at the same time, many are disconnected to City Hall.

Soucy said property taxes were forcing the elderly out of the city even though they were the backbone of and helped to build the community. He has been working since the 1950s, when he used to move and haul wood chips with his grandfather. Retirees, including veterans, were being left behind, Soucy said.

To solve the problem, Soucy would focus on expanding economic development to increase the property tax rolls. Soucy is excited about the Manchester Street/Exit 13 project that is slated to offer mixed use commercial, a hotel, and residential, as well as walking trails along the Merrimack River. He said more people living at the Concord Drive-In site would expand opportunities on Manchester Street for both new and many existing businesses.

"That would be good for Ward 8," he said. "There's at least 50 businesses on Manchester Street. Having that (development) there will draw people."

Redevelopment of the Steeplegate Mall, with a housing component, which might help alleviate the accessible housing crisis in the city, is something Soucy would support. He would also like to see the city increase more enforcement of cleaning up properties – instead of relying on private citizens to clean up properties.

Tackling the homeless problem was also important even though the solutions were difficult to reach, he said. Soucy suggested maybe converting land in the city or an old campground in another community, maybe with tiny houses, water, and sewer, with access to social services, in order to assist those in need while not having them camping along the river and in other places.

"There is no easy solution to it," he said. "I don't think anyone has a good solution."

As far as Matson goes, Soucy said he had no complaints about her and his challenges were not personal. In fact, he likes her a lot.

"I'm glad she's doing what she can do and I don't keep track of it," he said. "I don't hear anything bad (about her)."

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