John Cathey, Nashua Ward 7 Alderman Candidate

John Cathey

Age (as of Election Day)

39

Position Sought

Alderman Nashua Ward 7

Party Affiliation

Undeclared

Family

Wife and 5 step kids.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

A.A. Graphic Design.

Graduate, New York Film Academy 1-Year Conservatory in Film Producing

Occupation

Contract Graphic Designer, 8 years of experience.

Owner, Got Your Six, www.gotyoursixclothing.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I am not currently elected or appointed to any public office

Campaign website

www.electjohncathey.com

http://www.facebook.com/electjohncathey2021

Why are you seeking elective office?

Nashua has consistently ranked among the best cities. However, misguided priorities and planning like the inordinate expense of the PAC and desire to change the independent nature of the police commission, combined with poor fiscal policy is challenging our path to prosperity. Unsustainable rises in property taxes coupled with unnecessary spending will drive people out of Nashua and inhibit our growth and capacity to serve our citizens.

I am a pragmatic moderate focused on merit based, not ideologically based, solutions. I work for the citizens of Nashua and would be honored to serve them and represent their voice.

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

The single most pressing issue is the lack of strong fiscal discipline:

- Property taxes have risen on average 2.9% - 6.5% per year since 2016. This is unsustainable over the long term.

- The city budget has increased an average of $6 million a year since 2016.

- We are carrying a total of $94 million dollars in debt, with $20 million of debt belonging to the PAC.

- We bought land for a dog park before a feasibility study had even been completed for the dog park.

I hope to bring a measure of wisdom and prudence when deciding on spending the tax payers' money. I intend on doing my best to educate citizens on what is being spent, and why, and voting down any expenditures that create an undue burden on the taxpayers.

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

I have a strongly held conviction that I work for the citizens. As a member of local government, my role exists to give citizens a voice, to be held accountable to them, to be transparent, and to protect their rights.

Additionally, my belief that sound policy must be created based on merit and how it affects the citizens and not on which ideological side proposed the idea.

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

The current Nashua Ward 7 Alderman is not seeking reelection.

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

Regardless of who you are, in the beginning, no one really truly knew what we were up against. Trying to make decisions during a pandemic was not easy. However, over the long term, and with more data, they made decisions that I do not agree with and will have long lasting effects.

The risks of greatly affecting small businesses, workers, and our city economy outweigh the decision to demand healthy people quarantine and wear masks, and businesses enforce mask mandates or face fines.

We should have considered other mitigation strategies while keeping our social and economic infrastructure in place.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Economic Development

Traffic and Infrastructure

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

During college, I graduated from a Leadership Academy where only 5 of 21 students finished.

I've won multiple awards for my design work, showcasing my ability to meet challenges and thrive.

I worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade doing project management, finance, and logistics.

I'm a husband and step-father to 5 kids.

I'm a business owner.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Nobody cares why It didn't get done

You don't have to keep making bad decisions

Fear is a choice

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

I'm a reasoned, logical thinker, sometimes skeptic, constantly wanting to ask why. I think it's important to consider our actions and decisions and what the 2nd and 3rd order effects are. I have no issues standing firm on what I believe. I believe in hard work. You want something, you go and get it. Nashua is a great city and its potential to be even better is strong. I look forward to working with my fellow citizens to build up this city. I will never shy away from questions or discussions of the issues. Contact me with any concerns or questions!