A former state representative and program director of the New Hampshire Children’s Scholarship Fund is now an interim member of the Franklin City Council.
Kathleen Lauer Rago was elected to the city council on Monday night, beating out five other candidates. She received four votes from councilors Jo Brown, Bob Desrochers Sr., Paul Trudel and Karen Testerman.
“The reason I’m here is because I see a unique opportunity with you guys,” said Lauer Rago, who has served on the council’s education committee. “I really want to just help.”
Lauer Rago will be filling in for former councilor Steve Barton, who stepped down in December due to health issues. She will serve until October, when Barton was up for re-election. Then, she can either run for the seat again or step down.
Lauer Rago said she has learned a lot working on the education committee, led by Brown.
The education committee was created to tackle Franklin’s school budget deficits, which have been close to $1 million three years in a row and worsen every year the city loses more stabilization and adequacy money from the state.
Lauer Rago said she supports new initiatives being promoted by the committee in the city, and believes these ideas to help make the city and schools more financially efficient.
“You’re really making an effort to make the school district transparent and accountable, and I think that’s huge,” she told the council Monday.
Lauer Rago, who said she has lived in Franklin for 20 years, said she is also a firm supporter of the city’s tax cap. She has served on the school board, zoning board and the New Hampshire state legislator representing Franklin from 2011-12. She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
The candidate who received the most votes after Lauer Rago was April Bunker, a liquor commission employee who received three votes from councilors Heather Moquin, Vincent Ribas and Scott Clarenbach.
“I think there needs to be transparency in all budgets – the school budget, the municipal budget,” Bunker said. “I know there’s a history with school funding that transparency has not always been there and I think that’s vital to give people confidence that we’re not overfunding anything.”
Former state representative Leigh Webb, who received one vote from Councilor George Dzujna, said he was hoping to bring an open mind to the council.
“I guarantee you that I’ll do my homework to come prepared and be ready to ask the appropriate questions,” he said. “We moved to Franklin because we found a house we loved, and now a community we love, so this is just a way of giving back some more.”
Jim Wells, a former city councilor, planning board and zoning board member also ran for Barton’s seat, along with Ed Prive, a member of Franklin Mayor Tony Giunta’s Drug Task Force and Robert Hubble, owner of B&H Home Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning in Franklin.