Merrimack District 30 includes Wards 5 through 8 in Concord. Jason Quinno will face Robert Washburn in the general election. Below are their responses to the Monitor’s candidate survey.
Jason Quinno
Party affiliation: Democrat
What town/city do you live in? Concord
Political experience: NH50501 Volenteer/Organizer, Secretary of the Concord City Dems
Professional experience: Student with one year of congressional campaign experience
Community service experience: I frequently volunteer my time whether it be running donation drives at local protests, showing up for community cleanups or doing political outreach and organizing community events through the Concord City Dems.
Policy Positions
Should NH legalize recreational marijuana use and position? Yes
What is the No. 1 action the Legislature should take to address the housing shortage? Give towns and cities grants to revise their local zoning restrictions.
How involved should NH government and law enforcement be in immigration enforcement? NH should not assist at all.
To what extent should NH restrict abortion, if at all? It should not restrict abortion at all.
What is one law currently on the books in NH that you would repeal, and why? I’d repeal our current constitutional prohibition on progressive taxes. According to the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, Granite Staters in the bottom income bracket, those making less than about $35,000 a year, pay an effective state and local tax rate more than three times that of the top 1% of earners.
There are fair conversations to be had about whether New Hampshire should pursue a progressive or flat tax rate, but I don’t know a single person who genuinely believes a single mother working to make ends meet should pay a higher percentage of her income in taxes than a millionaire. Our Constitution currently prevents us from even having that conversation, and without the ability to use progressive taxation, our options for addressing the disparities in our current tax system are extremely limited. Repealing that prohibition would give Granite Staters the ability to build a fairer tax system.
NH consistently struggles with funding its government and services. What is one way you would raise state revenue, and what is one area you would cut expenses? Be specific. As I mentioned above, it’s incredibly important to me that we work to balance our current regressive tax burden. In the short term, one way we could do that is by reinstating the Interest and Dividends Tax. I’d also be interested in pursuing a second-home tax and a luxury-goods tax, so that we’re not continuing to burden working families by relying so heavily on property taxes and other regressive taxes.
On the expense side, I would repeal New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account voucher program which removed $50 million from public school budgets last year alone, increasing property taxes statewide and worsening our already existing school funding crisis. It’s important to note the program is no longer income restricted and that the vast majority of EFA recipients have the means to and already were sending their kids to private schools.
As people across the state struggle with their local school tax bills, what role should the state play in funding education? Every Granite Stater deserves a fully funded public education. For more than 40 years, New Hampshire has failed to meet that promise, leaving us with one of the most unequal school funding systems in the country. That’s not just my opinion, it’s been the consistent perspective of the state supreme court for decades.
Our current funding system doesn’t just create inequalities between schools, it puts an unfair burden on our towns. Communities like Concord with more affordable housing options are made to pay higher rates while wealthier, more restrictive communities can raise more revenue with lower rates.
It’s time we listen to the courts and establish a meaningful state-level, per-student funding standard, with the state paying its fair share instead of downshifting the cost onto municipalities. That would help reduce the local property-tax burden while guaranteeing every child has the opportunity to succeed, with access to a fully funded quality public education regardless of their ZIP code.
Aside from those mentioned above, what do you believe is the biggest issue facing the state today? Tackling the housing crisis is my top priority. Here in Concord, with a vacancy rate well under 1%, young people, working families and retirees are all competing for the same limited supply of homes, while rising rents and home prices force people out of their communities.
At the state level, we need to expand programs like Housing Champions and the Affordable Housing Fund, which support communities willing to update restrictive zoning and build affordable housing. We should also remove state barriers to construction and follow New Jersey’s Mount Laurel model, which requires municipalities to provide a realistic opportunity for their fair share of low- and moderate-income housing.
Lastly, I plan to work across the aisle to give communities more tools to address housing costs, including allowing split-rate property taxation, as Pennsylvania does. Taxing land at a higher rate than buildings can encourage redevelopment, increase housing supply, lower costs and make it less attractive to leave valuable land vacant or underused. Historically, about 85% of homeowners in Pennsylvania communities that adopted split-rate taxation saw their property tax liability decrease.
Find more information at the candidate’s website: https://www.jasonquinno4nh.com/
Robert Washburn
Party affiliation: Republican
What town/city do you live in? Concord
Political experience: Concord City Council Ward 4, at-large 2 terms, Charter Commission.
Professional experience: Washburn Consultant Group, LLC, principal; Washburn Financial Group, LLC principal, NH Housing Finance Authority, Controller; NH Crime Commission, Business Administrator; Concord Monitor Columnist “Hunter’s Corner.”
Community service experience: Concord Planning Board, member; Economic Development Advisory Committee, member, Ward 4 Moderator, National Federation of Independent Businesses, Advisory Council Member; NH Board of Accountancy, chairman, secretary, member.
Policy Positions
Should NH legalize recreational marijuana use and position? No, the estimated revenue to be collected is not worth the societal damage. Approval would cause a conflict with federal law as it is still a federal crime when possessed for non-medical purposes.
What is the No. 1 action the Legislature should take to address the housing shortage? Towns have enacted “snob” zoning by restricting lot sizes to prohibit SFR’s and will not allow multi-family units even when sewer and water is available. Limited state over-regulation will cure this prohibition when appropriate.
How involved should NH government and law enforcement be in immigration enforcement? NH should assist only when directly asked by the federal government. Open borders created the illegal immigration problem.
To what extent should NH restrict abortion, if at all? The current restriction on abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy is all that is needed. No further restrictions are required or justified.
What is one law currently on the books in NH that you would repeal, and why? The exempting drivers from having automobile insurance. Drivers who have insurance should not be required to pay for uninsured motorist coverage. Anyone who drives in NH should be required to carry insurance coverage. Driving an auto in NH is a privilege not a right.
NH consistently struggles with funding its government and services. What is one way you would raise state revenue, and what is one area you would cut expenses? Be specific. Several years ago, I testified before a House committee suggested a transmission fee on electricity. NH has always been an exporter of electricity. Now with hydro-Quebec flowing through the grid, the gross revenue from a transmission fee would produce between $1 billion and $1.5 billion. I would exempt primary residences (owned or rented) from paying the fee and would provide businesses with a refundable Business Profits Tax credit for the amount paid. I would eliminate the UNH Chancellors office as it serves no useful purpose other than to lobby the legislature for more money.
As people across the state struggle with their local school tax bills, what role should the state play in funding education? The state has a moral responsibility to fund a greater share of local school costs. See 13 as a revenue source. The largest most expense local school districts experience is special ed. The federal government “promised” when they enacted special ed laws that they would pay up to 40% of the cost and to date they provide 11%.
Aside from those mentioned above, what do you believe is the biggest issue facing the state today? Cost of living. Grocery prices are obscene and there is little state government can do about it. Have you checked out the price of toilet paper?
Find more information at the candidate’s website: https://www.jasonquinno4nh.com/