In Ward 4 Concord City Council Race, It’s Experience Vs. Experience

CONCORD, NH — Incumbent Karen McNamara was first elected during a special election in July 2021 and escaped a challenge in November.

But not in 2023, where she is one of four ward councilors being challenged this year.

Sarah Beauregard and McNamara faced off during a debate on Thursday, cosponsored by Concord TV and the New England Take Podcast.

Beauregard, a native of the city and a business owner, said she had served on several boards, worked to improve White Park, and was a Concord High School booster for cross country and wrestling. She was running to continue her public service — like her family before her and her kids, too.

McNamara, who works in public education and has a Master’s in administration, said she was running again to continue to support safety, expand the tax base, work to provide working-class, low-income housing, and other constituent service issues.

After the November election, at least a third of the council will have new faces, and there were community concerns about the potential for council instability.

McNamara commended outgoing Mayor Jim Bouley, saying he always put Concord first and had a plethora of knowledge. At the same time, she thought the new council “will be willing to take on this challenge,” adding, “With new people comes fresh eyes (and) with fresh eyes, sometimes, comes new ideas.” McNamara said it was essential to re-seat the board of ethics, something that had not been done, and to have councilors respect the process and one another.

Beauregard, too, agreed with the ethics board reseating as well as other things McNamara said. While she worked well with others, she had watched McNamara, and it was clear she worked well with others, too. But new faces on the council “would be a great thing,” she said. Beauregard said it would be a significant change for the city and set it in the right direction.

Housing was a big issue in the city. About 3,000 units will be built in the next three to seven years. However, it might not be enough.

Beauregard said she saw the housing problem first-hand as a landlord attempting to do business in the city. She would like to see changes to zoning and fee structures to ease the burden on builders, renovators, and landlords.

“It is definitely a struggle to actually build and have those builders come in,” she said.

McNamara said more would be needed even with all the new housing. The city, she said, had already done a lot. She would like to re-evaluate density. Changes to fees had been looked at and the city worked to make these easier, she said.

A significant issue being debated is whether to build a new clubhouse at the Beaver Meadow Golf Course, made more concerning after a long-term potential tenant dropped out of the project.

Beauregard said she would like to see renovations done or have the project put off a bit longer. She also proposed bringing more community events to the facility to get more involvement and attendance. Beauregard pointed to other facilities that could be used for events and meetings, like the new community center and the skate house at White Park.

“I don’t think it’s particularly necessary,” she said of the clubhouse, especially when considering other recreation department facilities available.

McNamara said the golf course was more than just golf in the summertime — it is a year-round facility for birthday parties, skiing, and other functions. There have been issues with sewer backing up. One constituent told her, It would be nice to have a cup of coffee while playing golf. McNamara said it was a multi-purpose facility, too.

“We’ve got to fix something that’s broken,” she said. “We’ve got a great gem out there.”

Beauregard and McNamara also answered questions about tax rates, solid waste cost increases, tax base expansion, crime, increased stipends for councilors, and other issues.

2023 Debates

• An Open Ward 2 Concord City Council Seat Brings Out Newcomers: Watch
• Ward 5 Concord City Council Candidates Talk Trash, Taxes, Engagement
• 5 Concord At Large City Council Candidates Vie For 2 Seats: Watch

Candidate Profiles

• Brent Todd, Concord City Council Ward 1 Candidate
• Brenda Hastings, Concord School Board Zone C Candidate
• Noemi Wierwille, Concord City Council Ward 5 Candidate
• Karen McNamara, Ward 4 Concord City Council Candidate
• Taylor Hall, At Large Concord City Candidate
• Byron Champlin, Mayor Of Concord Candidate
• Stacey Brown, Concord City Council Ward 5 Candidate
• Dennis Soucy, Concord City Council Ward 8 Candidate
• Kassey Cameron, Zone C Concord School Board Candidate
• Nathan Fennessy, Concord City Council At Large Candidate
• 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

Campaign 2023 Stories

• Nearly A Dozen Concord Candidates Fail To File Financials On Time
• City Of Concord: 2023 Election Info
• Some Concord Council Candidate Signs Not In Compliance With NH Law
• 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
• Candidates Enter Concord City Council Races On First Day Of Filing
• New Candidates Emerge In 2023 Concord Races As Signup Date Approaches
• Champlin Confirms Concord Mayoral Run; Some Out, Others Thinking
• Second At Large Concord City Councilor Considers Mayoral Run
• Concord At-Large Councilor Champlin Eyes Mayoral Run
• Herschlag: Our Mayor Is Not Seeking Another Term
• Concord’s Longest Serving Mayor Won’t Seek Re-Election In November

Have you got a news tip? Please send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Check out the #FITN2024 NH Patch post channel and follow our politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.