Republican Director Cheri Pelletier announced her candidacy for the 13th State House District on Friday, May 16, at the Lincoln Center in Manchester. Both the JI and the Courant had articles about Pelletier’s bid.The Journal Inquirer - after putting the wrong district number in the headline - wrote a good article covering Cheri’s announcement.

Republican town Director Cheri Ann Pelletier announced her candidacy for the 13th House District seat this morning, saying she will bring “a level of energy and action to the state House like no other candidate.”Pelletier, who has been a member of Manchester’s Board of Directors since 2005, likely will face Democrat John W. Thompson, who has held the 13th District seat for 22 years. Thompson hasn’t filed campaign documents yet, but has said he plans to run.

Pelletier said Thompson’s “service, although admirable, was largely during a time when manufacturing and private industry thrived, the dollar was worth more, and the times and issues seemed simpler.”

The Courant piece was interesting if only for this quote from Rep. Jack Thompson: “She’s free to do what she wants,” Thompson said. “I don’t know her very well, but I welcome anyone who wants to run against me.”  Is it possible that after more than two years of Pelletier’s service on the Board of Directors - in addition to hailing from South Manchester like Thompson, State Rep. Thompson still can’t claim to know Pelletier well?

MAYOR’S BUDGET MESSAGE
MAY 6, 2008Each year we gather as elected citizens to discuss our priorities for the coming year and decide how we will spend our collective tax dollars. It is, as always, a passionate debate about what we must do as a community and how to pay for things we all want. And this year is no different. Both sides are well intentioned, and deeply principled in the stands that we take. But as we look to our community, our State, and the nation, the troubling economic signs must give us great pause.

Every day, when Manchester’s taxpayers are driving to work, they are paying higher prices at the gas pump as gasoline approaches $4/per gallon. When they get to work, they are working long and hard to earn every dollar they can for their families and putting aside worries about their employer moving or reducing jobs. When Manchester taxpayers reach the end of the work day, on the way home they stop at the grocery store where they are paying higher prices for food and other goods.

We gather here tonight to discuss whether Manchester Taxpayers desire the additional burden of even higher property taxes. I, and my colleagues in the Republican Majority, believe that they do not.

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The Republicans on the Manchester Board of Directors announced their ‘Taxpayer’s Budget’ today, keeping their Covenant with Manchester Taxpayers and delivering a budget that controls the tax burden on the Town’s citizens. “We campaigned and won a historic majority on our Covenant with Manchester Taxpayers. Now we are governing by keeping our word,” said Mayor Lou Spadaccini.

The Republican Majority announced the details of their “Taxpayers Budget” today which controls the growth of taxes and spending in Manchester’s General Fund Budget. Manchester’s tax levy will increase by slightly less than 3% which is 2.1 percentage points less than the proposed tax levy in the General Manager’s recommended budget. Under the Republican Majority Budget, virtually every Town department is receiving a budgetary increase that is in line with the cost of living. Including debt service, expenditures in the General Fund will increase $5,765,597 or 3.8% over the current fiscal year’s expenditures. Excluding debt service, the General Fund will increase by $3,510,436 or 2.3% over the current fiscal year’s expenditures.

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