Bill Boyd, Merrimack State Rep. Candidate

Bill Boyd

Age (as of Election Day)

52

Position Sought

State Representative - Hillsborough District 21

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

Michele, 46, wife; Jade, 19; daughter

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

B.A. in Political Science from Boston College

Occupation

Real Estate Title Examiner - 25+years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I was originally elected to the Merrimack Town Council in 2011 and was re-elected in 2020 to a 4th term. My colleagues re-elected me as Vice-Chair of the Town Council. Currently, I serves as the Council’s representative to the Planning Board and the Nashua Regional Planning Commission. Back in 2017, I was also appointed by New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu to serve on the New Hampshire Drinking Water and Ground Water Advisory Commission which manages a trust fund offering grants, revolving loans and matching funds to statewide water projects involving infrastructure, source water development, wellhead protection and water quality.

Campaign website

www.boydnh.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Dick Hinch was not just a beloved and trusted public servant to the Town of Merrimack; he was also a beloved and trusted husband, father, grandfather, neighbor and mentor to his family and the many people that live here in town including myself. His passing is a bittersweet for me because I can neither replace nor succeed Dick Hinch. I put forth and offer my name to the community of Merrimack as a committed local leader, with a strong record of problem-solving, responsible budgeting and advocating for Merrimack, looking to serve our community in Concord while continuing the very same leadership and constituent commitment Speaker Hinch brought daily to Concord in his service to us. I will continue Dick's legacy for Merrimack: a strong commitment to constituent service, listening respectfully, and passionately advocating for Merrimack ensuring the needs of our community are addressed and effectively represented in Concord. As your Town Councilor for the past 10 years, I have listened to all Merrimack citizens with courtesy and respect. I have worked diligently to put the people's concerns and the community's needs first for Merrimack. With a proven, common-sense track record of problem-solving and community-building for Merrimack, I will bring those same values to Concord in support of Merrimack, and be a true bipartisan leader for Merrimack in our state government.

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

For Merrimack, we have 3 issues: 1) clean air and water; 2) the FE Everett Turnpike Expansion; and 3) economic recovery from the pandemic. 1) As it relates to clean air and water, it is a matter of public health. Merrimack residents need to know that the air that they breathe is clean. When they turn on their faucet, they need to know the water they are drinking is safe. We must hold polluters accountable; to do this, we must provide our state with the rules and the tools necessary to enforce compliance. I will be the strongest advocate and voice possible for Merrimack in this area. 2) As Town Councilor, I have been front and center before the Executive Council, the State Senate and the state Department of Transportation advocating for toll relief, addressing neighborhood concerns on the widening of the F.E. Everett Turnpike, and ensuring Merrimack's interests were protected with the 101A/Continental Blvd. improvements. The FE Everett widening poses the single most impact to traffic to our community. It'll be critical that your representative work closely with the DoT and the Governor to ensure all expansion work minimizes its impact on Daniel Webster Highway and the surrounding neighborhoods. 3) As the state emerges from this pandemic, it becomes equally important to ensure the needs and concerns of Granite Staters are successfully addressed: opening up our economy safely; a balanced and fully-maintained state budget to fund the departments that best serve Granite Staters; and ensuring access to the C19 vaccine. As your State Representative, I will work with Governor Sununu to get the best outcome for Merrimack during the days ahead.

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

As Town Councilor for the past 10 years, with a broad public policy portfolio, I have listened to all Merrimack citizens with courtesy and respect. I have worked diligently to put the people's concerns and the community's needs first for Merrimack. With a proven, common-sense track record of problem-solving and community-building for Merrimack, I will bring those same values to Concord in support of Merrimack, and be a true bipartisan leader for Merrimack in our state government. That's the difference.

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

N/A

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

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Preserving the New Hampshire Advantage is critical to ensuring we successfully emerge from the pandemic. I am adamantly opposed to any broad based sales or income tax. I will also fight against the downshifting of Concord's fiduciary responsibilities onto the Merrimack taxpayer. Government should be run efficiently and be mindful of its taxpayers’ hard earned dollars. I am proud to have helped stabilize our tax rate here in Merrimack which strengthened property values and, in return, allowed the Town Council to develop responsible budgets that reflected the community's priorities. We've been successful here in Merrimack, and we can do the same in Concord: meeting the state's needs without spending outside of our means.

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

As Town Councilor, I have worked diligently to ensure our citizens have access to clean, potable water. In April of 2016, when the community was exposed to toxins in our drinking water, I successfully lobbied then Governor Maggie Hassan to have the State's Department of Health and Human Services conduct a random blood serum testing community assessment program to determine a baseline level of PFC exposure in Merrimack. As a Commissioner on the New Hampshire Drinking Water and Ground Water Advisory Commission, with Dick Hinch's help, I successfully advocated for the Commission to approve close to $10 million dollars in grants and loan money to the Merrimack Village Water District to fix the Turkey Hill Road water tank and remediate those wells that were directly impacted by Saint-Gobain's negligence. I was also able to leverage my role on the Commission to secure $5.5 million dollars for Pennichuck to expand their water delivery network within Merrimack and their surrounding communities.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Politics has become more about how much attention you can get versus how much you can get done. Focus upon what you can get done for your community so that you leave it better than how you found it.

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

It has been my honor and privilege to serve the Merrimack community for the past 10 years. I sincerely ask the community for their vote so that I can continue the honor and privilege of serving Merrimack in Concord. Please get out and vote on Tuesday, April 13th.