THERE IS no shortage of headlines these days: a government shutdown, skyrocketing costs making it hard for anyone to afford the essentials, and indiscriminate cuts to life-saving health care. For a lot of us, we forget that the decisions we make locally typically have the greatest impact on our lives and the future success of our local municipalities. Oftentimes, the decisions that hit closest to home happen right here in Manchester.
On Tuesday, November 4th, the city of Manchester has the opportunity to elect new leadership at City Hall -- from the mayor to the Board of Aldermen and the Board of School Committee. If the recent municipal primary is any indication, we can expect participation to be low. On September 16th, only 10.7% of Manchester's eligible voters turned out in the city primary.
In three weeks, the voters of Manchester will determine not only who will hold office but the direction we choose for our city's future. Having recently attended a Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, I can tell you change is warranted and I would go so far as to say, desperately needed. The lack of decorum and professionalism was astounding.
When I served as alderman in that chamber, I remember some heated debates and contentious arguments, but that behavior paled in comparison to what I saw recently. Members of the board spoke out of turn without waiting for Mayor Jay Ruais to recognize them. Board members spoke over each other, and some hurled accusations and made personal attacks at their fellow aldermen and the mayor during the meeting. I left feeling ashamed of what I had witnessed.
The lead agitator on the board, Alderman Joe Kelly Levasseur, was the most disruptive, most accusatory, and least self-actualizing elected official I have ever encountered. Levasseur's constant outbursts were toddler-like. His constant claims of being targeted were laughable at best, given the endless and baseless attacks that he doles out on social media and on his local cable access show.
Over the years, "over-the-top Levasseur" has cost the taxpayers of Manchester tens of thousands of dollars with his antics, making false claims of harassment, suing the city needlessly, and exposing the city to potential claims because Levasseur himself has allegedly harassed employees.
As the largest city in the state of New Hampshire, Manchester has so much to offer and so much potential. Sadly, reporting about Manchester is more focused on the antics of our misbehaving aldermen and things like "Pickle-gate." Instead of focusing on problem-solving and the needs of Manchester's citizens, like building more affordable housing, adequately funding education, and improving city infrastructure, Levasseur and his cronies continuously pick fights with city employees and lash out at their fellow aldermen.
If Manchester wants to move in the right direction, it's time to retire wise guy Levasseur and his cronies and instead elect aldermen who can engage in thoughtful, productive, and civil dialogue. Aldermen who want to make a difference and serve the people of this great city. On November 4th, let's re-elect Dan O'Neil and elect June Trisciani, and send Joe Kelly Levasseur packing.