Stacey Brown, Ward 5 Concord City Council Candidate

Stacey Brown

Age (as of Election Day)

49

Position Sought

Ward 5 City Councilor

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Wade Brown (husband), Jack and Francesca Brown (children)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My husband is a detective for the Concord Police Department.

Education

BA English, Keene State College, NH, MA Diplomacy (24 credits), Norwich University, VT

Occupation

Administrative Assistant, Concord Public Library Foundation (4 yrs); former intelligence officer, Army sergeant, English teacher.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I am currently the Ward 5 representative on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee.

Campaign website

Coming soon! (stacey4concord.com)

Why are you seeking elective office?

There are pressing issues facing Concord residents, and I am looking forward to bringing fresh energy and enthusiasm to the City Council. I believe that a City Councilor should be proactive in gathering information and expertise to solve problems, seeking out the input from community members who might not have the loudest voice in the room, the most money, or the most social connections. Everyone’s voice matters.

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

I see multiple problems that need to be addressed simultaneously. These include expanding affordable housing, continuing the fight against COVID, maintaining public safety, and developing the city in a way that provides maximum benefit to the community with minimal expense to taxpayers. We need to work on all of these problems while doing everything we can to address the climate crisis.

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

I am a marathoner -- I will bring energy, determination and perseverance to the role of City Councilor.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I am running for the Ward 5 seat held by Council Rob Werner, who is stepping down after many years of dedicated service. I thank him for all of his hard work and wish him the best. If elected, I will bring a new perspective and ideas to continue the work of fighting climate change at the local level.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I was happy our local officials followed and promoted CDC guidelines: encouraging eligible persons to get vaccinated, maintain social distancing and mask wearing.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Bringing people together to improve our community, ensuring equity of access to parks and libraries, addressing the climate crisis at the local level.

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

I draw on my experience as a teacher, an Army sergeant, intelligence officer, and my work with nonprofits. I have created multiple community-building events in Concord that were free or low cost. I proposed and co-created Engineer Week at the Christa McAuliffe School where engineers presented a lesson related to their field of engineering in each classroom and presented it during a community evening at no cost to the school. When I was a board member of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail, I organized multiple events, including the trail triathlon, paddle clinic, and snowshoe hike. I have also worked closely with the Concord Police Department in support of their Annual Bike Rodeo.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The best advice was from my dad: Challenge yourself, step outside your comfort zone.

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

I’m running for office because I want to make a difference in our community. Our children are depending on us. My two children are currently in the Concord school system; the actions we take today will affect them and the generations that follow.