The four at-large candidates for city council have all owned small businesses and say they understand sensible budgeting and fiscal restraint.

But with just two seats to be had in Tuesday's election, the candidates tried to differentiate themselves last night during a forum hosted by the Concord Taxpayers Association. Another session followed for candidates for Concord School Board.

Incumbent Dan St. Hilaire is trying to keep his seat for a second four-year term. Joining St. Hilaire in the four-way race are Jim Baer, a retiree who used to run a bed-and-breakfast; Rick Cibotti, a tile and stone contractor; and Mike DelloIacono, who runs a web design company.

Last night's forum at the Beaver Meadow clubhouse was the second time the four sat side by side, fielding questions and making their pitches to the public.

Baer cast himself as committed, saying he was one of "only two candidates here tonight" - the other being St. Hilaire - who attended nearly every budget hearing.

"I have the budget here," he said, tapping a fat binder in front of him.

"I'm 71 years old. I'm not a kid," he said. "I have the time and energy, unique among everybody here . . . to devote to the council. I don't have any other things to worry about."

DelloIacono, on the other hand, has children ages 5 and 2.

"But that said, I do have time to devote to city council," he said, countering Baer. "I have a unique perspective on what's going on right now. I can react, think about what's going to happen in the future, help guide the city."

Cibotti several times mentioned his goal to make Concord one of the healthiest communities in the state and promoted himself as a "red tape cutter." He'll listen to people, he said, and make sure projects get done - such as his proposal to put in a river walk along the Merrimack.

"Rick's river walk, we'll call it," he said. "From the Tech to Manchester Street. If I have to do it myself, I'll do it."

St. Hilaire, for his part, told the audience: "You know me."

Answering questions last night, St. Hilaire spoke in the context of his experience on the council, "to sit there and go through line items" on the budget. With cutting the budget, he said, "we really had to take a look at how we did government all over again."

Asked about his vision for Concord, St. Hilaire, who's an attorney, said he would like to build a stronger arts community in town. That kind of development would benefit Concord and its character, he said, but wouldn't mean bringing in big box stores.

"Day to day, budgets are on our minds," he said. But, he added, "How do we want to brand ourselves? . . . Pie-in-the-sky ideas need to be talked about constantly, even though you may not do it today, tomorrow, the next day."

Baer, who's involved with the taxpayers association, said he's "not going to run for this position to see Concord stagnate," but he said the current economy precludes major capital improvements.

"I suggest we just tighten our fiscal belt," he said.

He wants to see Concord "financially stable," he said, "with a solid growth plan and tax burden that doesn't become so onerous" that people can no longer live in their homes.

Besides his fitness goal, Cibotti talked about making Concord a tourist destination.

"We need to expand revenue. We can do this by expanding the airport," he said.

School board

Tom Croteau and Bill Glahn, candidates for the one-year seat on the Concord School Board, made for polite opponents last night.

Time and again the men complimented one another's answers, while Glahn said it was hard to argue too strongly against such a qualified opponent. (next page »)