Jasper: Announces budget deal with gov.
“Today I am pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement that not only reaffirms the original House position, but also delivers a budget that best serves the interests of the people of New Hampshire.”
That’s what House Speaker Shawn Jasper wrote in an email to state representatives yesterday as Republican legislative leaders concluded negotiations with Democratic Governor Margaret Wood Hassan over the budget she vetoed back in June. As we understand it, the budget deal changes only one thing in the budget passed by the General Court, the business tax cuts Hassan railed against as one of the primary reasons for her veto.
Hassan: Gave up the budget ghost.
However, the governor agreed to a compromise that one would not expect given her criticisms. Rather than pare back or eliminate the cuts, Hassan agreed to accelerate the first round of cuts and G O P leaders agreed to revenue targets that would enable a second round of cuts. The original proposal had three small cuts over several years. In his email, Jasper said both the Business Profits and Business Enterprise taxes will reach the full cut proposed one year sooner than originally planned. The deal also fully funds the pay raises Hassan negotiated with the state employees. They’ll receive a two percent cost of living adjustment on January first in two thousand sixteen and seventeen.
The deal requires the General Court to pass legislation containing the agreed to details before voting to override the veto, which Hassan will have to ask members of her party to do. If the either legislation or the veto override vote fail, the deal is off. There’s lots going on behind the scenes on this one, we’ll get you caught up on it all today.
Cardon: Calls special meeting
Looks like the majority of the Derry Town Council isn’t ready to call it quits on their budget cuts quite yet. At last night’s meeting of the council, Chairman Thomas Cardon announced he’d called a special meeting for tomorrow night at six to discuss Monday’s court order that the council call a special election on the eight petitions submitted by voters overturning budget cuts enacted on July first. My gut on this one is they’re going to vote to appeal the state supreme court.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Nearly twelve thousand two hundred people turned out in yesterday’s elections in Manchester and the results were certainly noteworthy. Here are the unofficial vote tallies:
Gatsas: Did he outperform GOP turnout?
With five thousand one hundred seventy seven votes, or forty three percent, Mayor Ted Gatsas solidly secured first place in the polling. In a statement issued after the results were released, Gatsas declared victory saying quote:
“We had a strong showing and won 10 of the 12 city wards and I’m grateful for the support I received tonight. It’s clear that we have a real race and I look forward to drawing a clear distinction for the voters between my record and Alderman Craig’s so they have an obvious choice in November.”
Craig: Makes the cut
Finishing second was the referenced Ward One Alderman Joyce Craig. With four thousand five hundred fifty three votes, Craig finished six points and six hundred twenty four votes behind Gatsas, despite winning the ward she represents by three hundred eighty four votes. She also won Ward Two, Gatsas’ home ward, by two votes.
In a statement posted to her Web site hours after the results were released, Craig said quote (posted as published)
“…after six years of failed leadership, growing crime and drug addition, and failing schools, the majority of voters in Manchester said they are ready for a change in the Mayor’s Office.”
Arnold: That had to hurt
Former Ward Twelve Alderman Patrick Arnold, who lost to Gatsas by more than nine hundred votes in the last election, finished a distant third with one thousand eight hundred sixty votes or fifteen percent.
Also rans were newcomer Jawed Alibaba Shaikh who received four hundred fifty eight votes and perennial candidate Glenn Ouellette who tallied one hundred seventeen.
Martineau: Commanding win
In other races, incumbent Welfare Commissioner Paul Martineau cruised to victory with fifty three hundred seven votes. He will face his former deputy Diane Guimond in a third consecutive election. Guimond received twenty eight hundred and ninety votes. Ward Twelve State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez received fifteen hundred twenty one votes and newcomer Joseph McKinley Leonard received eight hundred seventy one.
Lord Emperor O’Neil: Tops the ticket
In the race for alderman at-Large, incumbent Dan O’Neil topped the ticket with five thousand two votes, or twenty seven percent. In second place, more than two hundred votes behind, was incumbent Joe Kelly Levasseur with four thousand seven hundred ninety four votes, or twenty six percent. Former Alderman at-Large Mike Lopez finished a distant third with thirty seven hundred forty votes, or twenty percent. In an even more distant fourth place was Ward Six Alderman Garth Corriveau with twenty six hundred seventy one votes. rounding out the field were Robert Tarr with one thousand forty six, Pierre Cetoute with six hundred eight and Devin Noiseux-Varrieur with three thirt six.
Ward Results
In ward primaries:
Kevin Cavanaugh topped the ticket for alderman in Ward One. He’ll face newcomer Andre Rosa. In the school board race, Sara Ambrogi had a commanding win over second place finisher Kevin McCue.
In Ward Three, appointed incumbent school broad incumbent Theo Groh loses to Ben Gamache and Mary Ngwanda Georges.
In Ward Four, former school board member and mayoral candidate Christopher Herbert tops the ticket and will face newcomer businessman Stephen Mathieu. Leslie Want wins the school board primary and will face newcomer Mark Flanders.
In Ward Six, Nick Pappas led the balloting over Karen Ladd who finished second. Appointed school board incumbent Dan Bergeron wins that race and will face Larraine Lencki who finished on his heels.
In Ward Seven incumbent Ross Terrio led the field and will face Wendy Garrity.
In Ward Ten, incumbent Alderman Bill Barry topped the ticket and will face Highway Commissioner Ray Hebert, who finished second.
Ward Eleven Alderman Normand Gamache wins the primary and will face former Alderman and School Board Member Russ Ouellette.
In Ward Twelve, incumbent Alderman Keith Hirschmann had a commanding win. He’ll face former City Clerk and Welfare Commissioner Leo Bernier. In the school board race, incumbent Connie Van Houten let the pack and will have a rematch with Christine Duffley.
We’ve uploaded all the unofficial results with this news read at Girard at Large dot com.
2015 Sept Municipal Primary Results
2015 Sept Municipal Primary Results (Citywide Races)
Click here for the updated, complete and official results.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ____ is next.
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