Finlay C. Rothhaus: Candidate, Merrimack Town Council

Finlay C. Rothhaus

Age (as of Election Day)

63

Position Sought

Town Council

Party Affiliation

Undeclared

Family

Laurie Rothhaus is my wife of 34 years. We have three grown children, Erin, Ryan and Sarah, and five Grandsons age 7 months to 6 years.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Yes

Education

1975 Graduate of Merrimack High School with some college at UNH and New Hampshire College

Occupation

Shortly after graduating from Merrimack High School, I spent three years in the US Army. Upon separation from the Army in 1978 I worked for a building supply company for two years and have been self-employed since.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I served in the NH House of Representatives from 1991-1995 on the Judiciary Committee. From 1995-2001 I was a member of the Town of Merrimack Board of Selectman. From 2001-2006 I sat on the Town Budget Committee and the Merrimack School District Planning and Building Committee. In 2005 I served on the Charter Commission which established the current form of government we now operate under. From 2006-Present I have been a member of the Merrimack Town Council.

Campaign website

None

Why are you seeking elective office?

The reason I am seeking re-election is that I love Merrimack. I enjoy working with members of our community to make Merrimack a great place to live, work and raise a family.

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

Currently, the Corona Virus is the most pressing issue facing our community. While I believe it is a short term problem, the impacts could be severe. We must be cognizant of the difficulty our businesses and fellow citizens might be going through during this slow down in the economy.

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

Instead of speaking to the critical differences between the other candidates and me, I would rather speak to my strengths. With the experience I have gained while serving on the Town Council I have learned the importance of having a long term vision. The things we do or don't do today can have a lasting impact on our Town into the future. I am a team builder and team player.

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

N/A

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

There are two issues that have always been important to me. Maintenance of the town infrastructure and the stability of the property tax rate. The town utilizes Capital Reserve Funds when funding projects. Using CRF's to partly fund large projects, eases the burden on the property tax rate. Many of our bridge replacements have been funded in this manner along with the use of state aid. This is a great help in keeping the property tax rate stable.

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

I have truly enjoyed working on our town committees and believing in different projects. The Highway Maintenance Facility was one of our recent projects. I represented the Council, working with Public Works, in choosing a Construction Management Team and began participating in regular meetings with them to put together plans for a state of the art highway maintenance facility. The new facility will save the Town money on numerous fronts. The structure is energy efficient with insulated garage doors and wall panels. It has LED lighting throughout. By renovating the old facility, Public Works is now able to store most of their heavy equipment indoors. This will extend the usable life of this equipment for many years. With an approaching winter storm, crews are able to load their trucks with sand/salt and prepare during their normal workday, and when called in, they will be ready to start operations as soon as they walk in the door. I was extremely pleased when this bond article passed and we were able to create a valuable facility to support our Public Works operations.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff.

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

It has been an honor to be a member of the Town Council and to have had the opportunity to serve the Town of Merrimack. I am committed and dedicated to my work on the council and I would appreciate your continued support on May 12th.