Dan’s Priorities
Public Safety
Our community's primary need is public safety, and this will be my number one priority as Alderman. My career as Fire Chief and as a police officer spans nearly four decades.
I will use my experience as well as the advice of our expert public safety professionals to implement programs to address crime in our city.
Low Taxes
As Alderman, I will respect the tax cap and work tirelessly to keep taxes low. I know firsthand, as a Manchester homeowner, that the tax cap provides assurances against unexpected, spiking tax increases.
Manchester is a working-class city, and property taxes affect the cost of rented and mortgaged housing alike. The tax cap is one tool in the toolbox with regard to the cost of housing in our city.
Homelessness
For the last several years, I have been leading from the frontlines on this very complicated issue. A variety of issues play a role in homelessness, such as mental health, substance misuse, access to healthcare and other essential services, and the availability of housing.
The city must do more than repeatedly move our homeless population from site to site—these individuals’ lives need to be rebuilt one by one. Additionally, Manchester needs to have a seat at the table during discussions in Concord.
Education
As a product of Manchester schools and a proud father of two students at McLaughlin, with a grandchild at Jewett, I understand firsthand the importance of a quality public education.
Over the course of my career, I’ve worked with the Manchester school system in many different capacities. In that time I have witnessed the invaluable efforts our skilled educators and talented leadership team. I know many of them personally as well as professionally, and I support the hardworking professionals who prepare Manchester’s children for the future.
In a time in which public education is increasingly politicized, I will strive to be a voice of reason and common sense to support the best interests of our city.
Housing
Housing is a major issue in Manchester and the rest of the state. We must address the lack of workforce housing, affordable housing, and transitional housing.
With a vacancy rate of less than 1%, Manchester’s housing and rental prices have increased significantly, forcing people to leave our city. This housing shortage negatively impacts our ability to grow as a community, create jobs, and retain talented workers.
Substance Misuse
Manchester was hit especially hard by the nationwide opioid epidemic as a result of many complicating factors driven by our location and the drug trade worldwide. In the midst of this unexpected crisis, the Manchester Fire Department jumped in to develop the Safe Station Program, providing 24/7 assistance for anyone seeking assistance with substance misuse issues.
This program, having helped thousands of people, now serves as a national model to guide communities all over the country. Safe Station has adapted and changed with the needs of the community and is now much different than when it started, always responding to the changing needs of the community.
In my capacity as Fire Chief, I have had the opportunity to make presentations across the country about New Hampshire’s opioid epidemic and the ways in which we’ve risen to meet this challenge. I now serve on national boards concerning addiction and treatment including the National Advisory Committee on Drug Abuse at the National Institute on Health.
Although Safe Station was only part of the solution, I was proud to be part of a team that thought outside the box and brought new ideas to the table. Our city needs more creative thinking, and that’s what I intend to contribute as Alderman.