Shawn Mickelonis
For Ward 1 Seat A: Shawn Mickelonis
Occupation: Works at ContiTech in Somersworth and Blimpie at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Prior public service: Former state representative (2006-2008); highway commission member for the Spaulding Turnpike project; supervisor of the voters’ checklist for Ward 1 in Rochester.
If elected, what would be your top priority for the city?
To help fund economic development efforts to attract and retain businesses. I would try to improve Rochester’s reputation. I would help work with other towns and communities to help get this drug issue under control, the heroin drug issue that we’ve been having, which is a major issue in Rochester and within the region and throughout the state. So I would work with other towns to help combat this rising issue. And I would work on infrastructure for the entire city to improve it as much as possible to help gain and retain businesses in Rochester.
What can be done to promote more economic development in Rochester?
Pretty much rebranding the city. Working with the students at Spaulding High School, working with education leaders and the other city councilors and major organizations within Rochester, like the Main Street organization, and working with them to rebrand Rochester. Trying to come up with ideas to make the flow of traffic a little bit more efficient for businesses, and just working on the infrastructure of the city to help attract businesses. Also, to work on the reputation of the city of Rochester to help attract more customers coming into the city to shop.
Has the tax cap been beneficial to Rochester, or has it inhibited the city’s ability to get things done?
I think regardless of how I feel about it, it’s there. We can’t change it now because it’s already there, so we have to work with it as much as we can and try to keep within its limitations.
Do you think the city should set aside a capital reserve fund to repair/expand its school buildings?
I think it is a good idea. I think that we need to set aside some kind of budget just for that specific reason. I think that it would be difficult at times to set aside money because we’ve got to be very, very cautions of making sure that we keep our property taxes low.
What can be done to revitalize the downtown and promote a more vibrant arts scene?
First we’ve got to change the reputation of Rochester. We’ve got to rebrand the city and bring in more attractions. We need to bring more tourists in and get Rochester residents to be more willing to shop here instead of outsourcing to Dover or Portsmouth. When people start realizing the great nature of Rochester, I think people will be more willing to get involved with the festivals and go to the Rochester Commons and spend time in Rochester instead of going to Portsmouth or Dover. But it’s going to take time, and it’s got to start now to change that.
What is the most important issue facing Rochester that city officials are not yet talking about?
I don’t think they’ve been really talking about the heroin issue and the drug issue we’ve been having in the city. It’s been kind of on the back burner. I think we need to tackle it head on as a united front county-wide, getting surrounding towns and cities involved to work together. I feel that Rochester should take the lead on it, since it’s the biggest city in Strafford County. If a 17-year-old is picking up heroin and dying of an overdose, it’s an issue. I think we’ve got to work hand in hand with Somersworth and Dover.