Voters in Orford, Rumney and Wentworth will choose between Democrat Paul Goundrey of Orford and Republican incumbent Linda Franz of Wentworth for one seat in the New Hampshire House on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The Valley News asked the candidates in a survey about their experience, why they are running and what they see as the biggest issue facing the state. Goundrey’s answers, edited lightly for style, appear below.
Goundrey, a longtime member of the Orford Selectboard, names property taxes and school funding as the biggest issue and says the state has never met its duty to fund an adequate education. Franz did not return the questionnaire.
PAUL GOUNDREY
Democrat · NH House Grafton 6
74, Democrat, Orford
Political experience: Orford Selectboard, 20 years, many as chair; Orford Planning Board, current chair.
Professional experience: Retired after 27 years as supervisor of grounds and vehicles at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
Community service: Orford High School Study Committee; Upper Valley Ambulance board of directors (25 years).
Why are you running? Lack of adequate support for public education; loss of bipartisan solutions and local control, which is the New Hampshire way.
Biggest issue: The biggest issue is property taxes and school funding. New Hampshire has never lived up to its constitutional responsibility of funding an adequate public education. Part of the solution is to bring stakeholders together to reform the system to reflect today’s declining enrollments and increasing property taxes.
Online: paulfornh.com
| CANDIDATES: STILL WANT TO BE INCLUDED? If you are running for office in the Upper Valley and have not received the Valley News candidate questionnaire, contact Managing Editor Allison Rogers at arogers@vnews.com or 603-727-3220, or Deputy Editor Molly Hughes at mhughes@vnews.com or 603-727-3213. |