Brentwood candidate forum centers on taxes, housing and schools ahead of March votes

A candidate forum at the Mary Bartlett Library drew candidates for town and school offices and a steady audience who pressed contenders about taxes, housing, school programs and local services.

The forum was organized and moderated by Melissa Hamlin, the town moderator, and opened by Janice, director of the Mary Bartlett Library. Incumbents and challengers introduced themselves and then answered audience questions. Candidates included Melody Santos (library trustee), Linda Gary (trustee of the trust funds; statement read by the moderator), Jim Hajar (municipal budget committee), Michelle Sudet (municipal budget committee), George Koch (municipal budget committee), Stephanie Kaza (planning board), Brett Randstone (planning board), Ryan Hansen (planning board), Jennifer Jones (select board chair, running unopposed), multiple Swayze School Board candidates including Kate Bonifete and Mark Hennick, and candidates for the SAU 16 cooperative board and advisory committees such as Neil Blake, Mike Mackey, Joe Pace and Brian Duffy.

Why it matters: Voters will decide several local offices on March 11 and will vote at town meeting March 15 on warrant articles that could affect next year’s tax rate. Speakers and audience members pressed candidates to explain how they would approach the town’s near-term budget choices and long-term growth and services.

Candidates' priorities and background details

Melody Santos, seeking reelection to the library board of trustees, called the library “so much more than the books on the shelves,” and said she has worked on staff promotions, the amphitheater renovation and policy updates during her tenure. Linda Gary, a former trust and estates attorney who submitted a written statement, emphasized fiduciary standards for trustees of donated funds and asked for votes on March 11.

Three candidates — Jim Hajar, Michelle Sudet and George Koch — answered questions about the municipal budget. Hajar said his research found that a $1,700,000 fund-balance offset was “accidentally carried forward” and contributed to a prior projection error; he reported the town’s retained fund balance has fallen to 4.5% of operating expenses, below the state-recommended 10% and close to a 5% minimum. Hajar also noted town appropriations grew from about $5,000,000 in 2020 to nearly $7,400,000 in 2025 and said his comparative report with nine similar Rockingham County towns showed Brentwood’s 2023 appropriation was about $1,100,000 (18%) higher than the peer average.

Michelle Sudet, a current budget committee member, said she would prefer the committee self-impose growth limits but that she would support a statutory tax cap if the committee would not do so: “I would like to see us self impose those kind of limits, but if that's not possible, then, yes, I would support the tax cap.” George Koch said he had reviewed the budget, felt the select board and departments had worked to hold line items level where possible, and said he would support the budget overall while looking for future improvements.

Planning board candidates discussed housing. Ryan Hansen said the town must balance state housing requirements and grant-linked obligations with preservation of Brentwood’s rural character and said: “we need to find a way to balance both of those.” Stephanie Kaza, a planning-board vice chair, said recent reviews showed that existing parcel sizes and ordinance rules make “it not actually physically possible to build multifamily housing in town,” and that the board is exploring ordinance changes, accessory dwelling unit (ADU) options and mixed-use approaches in targeted areas.

School candidates and SAU seats

Swayze School Board candidates focused on fiscal stewardship and student outcomes. Kate Bonifete highlighted cost-saving measures such as recently installed solar panels. Mark Hennick urged voter turnout and criticized current board decisions on extracurricular eligibility, saying the after-school math club had been run as “a female only club denying all males” and pledging to press the superintendent and new administration on academic rigor.

Candidates for the SAU 16 cooperative board and budget advisory seats — including Neil Blake, Mike Mackey, Joe Pace and Brian Duffy — described their experience in school finance, operations and governance and urged voters to consider both costs and educational quality when voting on the cooperative budget.

Audience questions and recurring themes

Voters asked whether municipal candidates would support the budget presented by the select board; whether the town’s housing stock is adequate; and whether petitioners' proposed tax-cap warrant should be adopted at town meeting. The audience also raised regionalization of services and the pace of municipal expense growth.

Several candidates pointed to trade-offs between service levels and taxes. As one candidate put it while describing emergency staffing needs: replacing volunteer coverage with paid personnel improves response but raises recurring costs that appear on the tax rate. Others urged clearer public outreach so voters could weigh priorities at the ballot box.

What voters will decide next

The election for town and school offices is scheduled for March 11; town meeting, where warrant articles (including a citizen petition to adopt a local tax cap) will be considered, is scheduled for March 15. Candidates encouraged the audience to vote and to attend public budget hearings.

Ending

The forum closed with an appeal from the moderator that residents attend the upcoming election and town meeting. Several candidates also promoted community events and outreach: Michelle Sudet announced a community gathering on April 3 to encourage neighbor-to-neighbor dialogue and nonprofit engagement.