Candidates for Municipal Budget Commitee for Hampton

March 5, 2013

We asked the five candidates running for Budget Committee Jerry Znoj, Eileen Latimer, Brian Lapham, Vic De Marco and Mark McFarlin to provide us with information about their backgrounds, their past history of community service and their vision for the future.  Only Mr. McFarlin did not respond. While Rational Taxpayers of Hampton have endorsed and recommended Jerry Znoj, Eileen Latimer and  Brian Lapham, the readers should evaluate and understand the candidates and what they stand for since we did not recommend a fourth candidate and there are  four positions open and five candidates running.  

Jerry Znoj 

Name: Gerald (Jerry) Znoj

Age: Not a factor

Occupation: Retired Quality Control/ Product Assurance
Director

Education: Engineering Technician Cert. University of
Hartford, B.S. Engineering and Management University of Mass.at Lowell, MBA
Northeastern University.

Public service/public office experience:

3 years Hampton Selectman (2009, 2010, 2011)

What are the three most important issues in your race?    

A.) To assure that the Town Budget is prepared in an
accurate and thorough manner and is properly justified and prudent in its expenditure requests. 

B.)  Assure the town adheres to the N.H. Municipal Budget law

C.)  Work collaboratively with the Budget Committee, Hampton Selectmen and School Board to achieve budgets that allow objectives to be accomplished in a cost effective manner.

2.) If you are elected, how do you plan to address these issues?

A.)  I am heavily experienced in Budget preparations and analysis due to my industry experience as a manager and Director as well as serving as a Hampton Selectman for 3 years. There is no substitute for experience.

B.)  As a Selectman I became quite familiar with the Municipal Budget law with respect to the lapse of appropriations, transfer of appropriations, emergency expenditures, Budget preparations and the like. As a member of the Budget committee this front line experience would prove invaluable in my contributions to the committee.

C.)  We should all be working on behalf of the best interests of the people we serve. Moments of spirited debate should be embraced and welcomed, but in the end it is the taxpayer’s best interests that we must strive to represent. I will welcome differences of opinion and debate and facilitate discussion on key issues so as to assure all sentiments on an issue are heard.  

3.) Explain why you are running and why do you feel you are the best candidate?

 A)  I’m retired and have the time to serve and wish to give back to the community in whatever role I feel qualified to fulfill.

B) I have a sound education and a width and depth of experience that allows me to be versatile and nimble on many subjects.

C) I am completely objective and serve no special interests. I reach sentiment only after analytical thought and study on a subject matter.

D) I have excellent insight as to how the town works after having served as a selectman for 3 years and after serving as the Selectman’s rep to the Budget Committee in 2009.  There is no substitute for experience. 

Eileen Latimer

Married to James (40 years)

Mother of 2 grown daughters

Educated at University of Mass @ Dartmouth  dual Major- Psychology/Education

University of NH continued studies Social Welfare & Welfare Reform

Public Service:

Budget Committee-12 years

Bud Com Educational Sub- Committee 3 years

CIP- 3 years

Recycling Education Committee – 1 year

Hampton Schools Withdrawal Study Committee

3 Most important Issues in the race:  Compliance, Transparency, & Structure

1. Adherence to the State RSAs that govern the municipal budget process.

2. Formulation of a budget consistent with a responsible tax rate and future growth & planning (CIP).

3. To balance the responsibility of being the official budget “watchdog” with civility, transparency and structure to the public and all those involved in the budget process.

Why am I running:  Experience,  Knowledge & Continuity

Being a member of the Municipal Budget Committee is a continuous work in progress The budget is an integration fiscal obligations, monetary constraints, and future planning. I believe it takes a number of years of practical service to truly absorb the enormity of the process and the laws governing that process. I have proudly served this committee for the last 12 years, the past 2 as Chairman and I believe I have gained the knowledge, to not only continue to serve this
committee, but also, to pass this knowledge on to my peers.

While there are many areas where change is good, the budget process is not one of them. Members of boards and committees come and go, however our process needs an orderly continuum and perspective to guarantee our taxpayers a responsible budget. I will work diligently to achieve that “responsible budget”.

Vic De Marco

Question One: Qualifications and background for the position. I have served the Town of Hampton in several capacities over 40 years. The majority of that time (1973 until 1998) I was a police officer for the Town of Hampton retiring as a Captain. Due to my accounting degree during that time I was called upon to participate in the preparation of the department budget. For the past 12 years I have managed the 3 Town owned parking lots at Hampton Beach. This position requires me to utilize my financial skills by keeping within budget limits as well as time and people management skills, over the past 15 years I have also been elected to the following positions, Town Budget Committee 4 terms, Winnacunnet High School Budget committee 2 terms study committee elected to investigate a possible change in the form of government to Town council.

I am a graduate of Bentley College with a major in Accounting. I worked 8 years in the field before becoming a police officer for the Town. In addition to this I have operated the Exeter/Hampton accounting service for 40 years specializing in accounting for small businesses.

Question Two:

Questions Three: I believe I possess and in-depth knowledge of
the budget process along with a thorough knowledge of the various departments
in Town.  

Brian Lapham

What are your backgrounds qualifications to run for budget committee? Political Science major, 4 years Hampton Budget Committee, Certificates from B.U. In Team building, Management and 5 years as a Technical Coordinator for a
multy-million technical supply company as management coordinator of machine, employee and budget related cost savings from printers to robots to personnel. 

What has been your history of community service in Hampton or other locales? 10 years Hampstead Civic club basketball official, AAU basketball official, 3 years
Seafood Festival volunteer Coordinator, Sand Sculpture Contest volunteer
coordinator.

What is your vision for the Budget Committee? To operate as a team which as has been something I have lead in recent years where in prior years it was a fractured committee. To formulate a plan with the other committees to
incorporate the Fire and pump station into the next year’s budget with as
little tax increase as possible. Plan ahead for the schools and down town infrastructure that lies on the horizon for major repairs.

Thanks

Brian Lapham

Budget Committee

For Rational Taxpayers of Hampton

Norman Silberdick