HANOVER — Two political newcomers and local activists are challenging a pair of longtime Selectboard members in a race for their seats at next week’s Town Meeting.
Incumbents Peter Christie, who is the chairman of the board, and Bill Geraghty are trying to retain their spots while facing competition from Kristina Wolff and Dalia Rodriguez, who both advocated for a Fair and Impartial Policing Ordinance that would prevent police from sharing certain immigration information with federal authorities.
All four candidates wrote letters outlining their platforms, which were posted on the town’s website.
Wolff, who works in curriculum development for The Dartmouth Institute and served on the “Welcoming Hanover Committee,” which helped draft the original language of the ordinance, wrote that she became interested in the position while working to help promote similar ordinances in Hanover and other Upper Valley towns.
The Hanover Selectboard passed the ordinance in April, but added a caveat that proponents of the original language opposed, which said that the ordinance “need not be” implemented if it conflicts with state or federal law.
During the process, Wolff heard from members of the Hanover community who were struggling financially, she said.
“One common theme that emerged was that inequities exist in our town which need to be addressed, and the perception that the town was not prioritizing the needs of all members of the community,” Wolff wrote, adding that if elected, she plans to hold monthly meetings with the community to address common needs.
Rodriguez is program coordinator for the Dartmouth Sustainability Office and a Dartmouth College alumna, as well as a member of the local activist group Rise! Upper Valley, which also worked to promote the welcoming ordinances. She wrote that she has heard testimony from people who have experienced discrimination in the town.
She would like to see Hanover better meet the needs of its community through “sponsored efforts, diversifying the membership of the Selectboard, and creating policies and programs designed to support marginalized communities in Hanover.”
Christie, who has been on the Selectboard since 2002, and chair since 2011, wrote that his experience with local government will help in choosing a replacement for Town Manager Julia Griffin, if she should retire within the next three years. He also said he hopes to continue correcting errors from the 2018 real estate reevaluation and working on the financial fallout from the new coronavirus pandemic.
“My experience on the (Selectboard) and former years on the Hanover Finance Committee will be helpful in setting spending priorities during these financially uncertain times,” he wrote.
In his letter, Geraghty, a member of the board since 2011 and a member of the Hanover Finance Committee, also noted that his experience could help with choosing a replacement for Griffin and with the anticipated loss of revenue following the pandemic.
Voters will also be asked to approve $32.3 million in proposed municipal spending, an 8.4% increase over the current fiscal year.
However, Town Clerk Betsy McClain said in an email that much of that increase is offset by reserve funds.
Included in the municipal spending is a proposed $18.3 million general fund budget, which is an 8.9% increase from the current fiscal year.
The municipal property tax rate is expected to increase by about 14 cents, or 2.4%. If the budget is approved, the owner of a $250,000 home would see taxes go up about $35 to $1,480.
Voters will also be asked to decide on a zoning amendment that would allow Hanover property owners to rent out their homes and apartments on a short-term basis, allowing nightly or weeklong stays.
The practice, popularized by sites like Airbnb, has been banned in Hanover for over 30 years. But in a Planning Board meeting in March, board members voted, 6-1, to recommend an amendment to the zoning ordinance, allowing short-term rentals.
Another article on the Town Warrant will ask voters to choose whether to raise and appropriate $500,000, and approve the withdrawal of $121,500 from the Land and Capital Improvements fund, to help buy a 265-acre section of woods and farmland off Greensboro Road.
Earlier this year, the Trust for Public Land reached an agreement with the Leavitt family, who currently own the property, to purchase the land. The trust will turn it over to the town, which will conserve the land following the sale.
Because of concerns around spreading the new coronavirus, Hanover is implementing some voting changes this year. Town officials are encouraging all residents to request and file an absentee ballot for articles 1 through 15. The remaining articles will be discussed and voted on during a “drive up” meeting at the Dewey Parking Lot at Dartmouth on July 7.
McClain said people who drive up will be able to sit in, or next to, their cars and will use colored fans to vote on articles. If a resident has a comment, workers with microphones will come to their car. Other residents who don’t want to drive will be able to walk or bike to the hill overlooking the lot, and voting will work the same way, McClain said.
Anna Merriman can be reached at amerriman@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.