Taylor Hall, Concord Mayoral Candidate

Taylor Hall

Age (as of Election Day)

31

Position Sought

Mayor

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

Erika Rydberg-Hall, married June 2021

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

no

Education

B.S., Major: Entrepreneurial Studies
Xavier University, Cincinnati OH

Occupation

Finance Counselor, Southern New Hampshire University

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

N/A

Why are you seeking elective office?

I moved to Concord in 2018 from Manchester, my now wife was living here and I really enjoyed everything Concord had and has to offer. I am hoping through the position of Mayor, I can support and give back to the city of Concord. I feel our city is ready to have new leadership that will bring the city forward into the coming decades. We will face new complex challenges and I feel I have the temperament, skills, and ability to lead our city forwards.

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

Brain Drain. We need to make Concord friendlier to younger people. We both need to keep our current population and attract new residents. I believe we can achieve better outcomes for tomorrow, by attracting a diverse set of employers, service businesses, and providing affordable housing to all income brackets

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

Unlike my competitor, I am not a lobbyist who is beholden to my clients first and my community second.

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

The current Mayor has failed to be fully transparent in regards to his lobbying activities and when they may conflict with the best interests of the City (or even just when they exist).

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

Concord has a weak Mayor system of government, but that does not prevent the Mayor from being a leader and a public voice - I can't think of one time the Mayor publicly addressed the Pandemic to the residents of Concord. I'm not suggesting the Mayor needed to provide more updates than some of our other elected officials, but even leveraging low-to-no-cost tools that are provided by social media and doing a few livestreams to address the residents of Concord would have been nice. I know early on in the Pandemic, there was a lot of confusion among the small businesses (especially retail and restaurants) in Concord over what could remain open, when they could open, and under what circumstances. Did the Mayor reach out to any of those business owners to provide clarification? He touts his lobbyist record of being able to get things done at the State House. If there were any questions as to what could open, he could definitely receive clarification at that level, could he not?

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Business - attracting businesses to Concord that have a proven track record of offering stable employment as well as being part of the 'new economy.' For instance - manufacturing is arguably a stagnant industry with very little exciting change occurring, however, there is a lot of buzz around 'green manufacturing' or manufacturing Earth-friendly products or products that will prepare us for a sustainable future (ie - solar panels, wind turbines, next generation batteries, etc). There is no reason that we can't attract these types of businesses to Concord; those businesses come here and jobs follow - the kind of jobs that are exciting for the next generation of families that are looking for someplace to call home. There is no reason that a Mayor of Concord cannot be the first advocate for their city - proactively reaching out to those businesses to generate interest in setting up shop here.

Education - We have so many great schools in our community and we need to make sure that they provide not only a well-rounded education for our youth, but also keep our children safe, and have the leadership that can move them ahead and deal with any difficult issues in a productive and meaningful way. I also care about public higher education in our state and it's evolution, which would impact the brain drain I noted above.

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

I have been involved in the political process before, and I believe it's outcomes can impact a community on a large positive level. I have always been a hard worker, stay cool when under stress and I know I would strive to do my best in this role to support our community and move us ahead.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"A rising tide lifts all boats"

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

The Mayor will say that I am young and inexperienced, and he is not wrong - but that is not relevant to this race. What I lack in direct experience, I make up for in passion and willingness to advocate for my community, something the Mayor lacks.
The City Council and Administration is more than capable of running the city, what we need in a Mayor is not an administrator, but a leader willing to go to bat for his constituents and our city.