Bettencourt: Why I'm Running for Budget Committee

By D.J. Bettencourt

On Tuesday, March 8, you will head to the polls and make some important decisions about the future and direction of our community. In that context, I want to share with you the reasons that I decided to run for the Budget Committee.

I have lived in Salem for my entire life and possess a deep love for our community. My faith in our town is the reason that I chose to raise my own family here. I have been proud to serve Salem as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, on the Salem Economic Development Committee, and as the Director of Development and Community Relations of the Salem Animal Rescue League.

As I look to the future, I believe our community stands at a very unique and exciting time. There are several projects currently being considered that hold the promise of expanding and diversifying our economy and tax base. Our future is extremely bright but we need to be thoughtful and deliberative as we move forward, especially in our budgeting.

What impact does the Budget Committee have on Salem’s future? The Budget Committee is a unique board. It stands at the junction between the town and school budgets. These two budgets comprise the totality of spending in our town. It is the only committee that reviews the entire picture of spending in Salem. This is a special and important responsibility.

What would I bring to the table for the Budget Committee and Salem? In a word -- experience. As many know, I served for eight years in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. In that capacity, I had the experience of helping to craft four state budgets, which involved billions of dollars. I appreciate the difficult choices and the delicate balance between meeting the important needs of our citizens while also keeping taxes affordable for our taxpayers.

Further, this experience gives me the ability to identify and stand against any attempt by state government to downshift state liabilities onto the backs of Salem residents. This downshifting can have major implications on a community’s tax rate.

How would I approach the budget process? My approach will be to bring people together to find ways to innovative and build solutions to the fiscal challenges we face. I will assess every budget fairly with no pretenses or hidden agendas. I am not interested in feuds or unnecessary dramas. If Salem is to realize its full potential, it needs results oriented leaders.

What are my values, goals and priorities? I believe in a strong educational system, a solid infrastructure, and a tax system that permits a large diversity of people to live in, enjoy, and raise their families. That said, I believe that inefficient, ineffective, and wasteful government is destructive and a theft of the hard earned money given to our town by taxpayers. I believe that we can hold the line on new or increased taxes while also achieving a balanced budget and delivering quality services to those who need them. Importantly, my hope is to be an advocate for those in our community who are struggling and feel beaten down financially.

I want to enhance and lift life in Salem so that it remains for my children the outstanding community that I enjoyed growing up. I look forward to using the next several weeks as a vehicle to connect and engage in a thoughtful dialogue with my fellow neighbors on how we can make Salem the best community in New England.

D.J. Bettencourt lives in Salem.