In His Own Words . . .

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​Mr. Cascadden returned both his Primary Citizens for Belknap Questionnaire and his General Election questionnaire with these responses: 

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1.  Give three examples of waste you would cut in our NH state or county government.

• The Educational Freedom Account program should be examined for administrative reductions.  Currently administration cost  is capped at 10% and is reported to be 7.83% much higher than the Funding Cap Ballot Question proposes for SAU administrative costs.  Income eligibility caps should be reinstated for the EFA program, and oversight put in to make sure funds are spent for educational purposes.

 

• We could reduce the amount of legislation that must be processed every year by the House of Representatives.  Unlimited bill filing with every bill generating committee work and having a full house hearing has costs to the legislature that could be reduced with better gate keeping.

 

• We could end the practice of having state laws that require local boards to produce a policy.  A lot of time and energy is put into writing local policies that are dictated by state laws.

 

2.  Do you believe New Hampshire needs to explore additional sources of state revenue, or do you believe the state’s current approach to taxation and revenue is working? Please explain.

NH’s current approach to revenue generation is not working.  NH has reduced business taxes and eliminated taxes on interest and dividends, these could be restored to previous levels.   Costs that have been downshifted from the state budget to the local property tax could be reversed.  These policies cause inequities and issues with funding for schools and communities.  

 

3.  Do you support having an AI data center located in Belknap County?  Explain. 

No.  Data centers consume water and electricity and I know of no site that would not be impacted by these needs.  Local communities should have a say in whether data centers are built.  Water resources and consumer electricity rates need to be protected.  A data center should produce its own clean energy and not impact local water resources.

 

4.  Because Laconia hosts more city and county services for the homeless, it also shoulders more of the impact and financial burden. Would you support a county-wide plan to offset those problems and costs? Why or why not?

Yes.  The Laconia serves as a base for county services and has a larger financial burden of supporting citizens in need.  A coordinated plan would be appropriate.

 

 

5. Should Belknap County towns heavily impacted by out-of-state visitors receive a  higher share of Rooms & Meal tax revenue?

Belknap County relies on tourist visitors and that reliance has infrastructure and municipal services costs. This tax is 8.75% with a 30% share going back to communities based on population.  This formula could be looked at both for increasing the local share to offset property taxes for all and looking at a distribution formula that recognizes the costs to municipalities to provide services for large events and out of state visitors. 

 

6. By 2030, what would be your vision for education, and its method of funding?

 

• Stong public schools as anchors to the system with multiple pathways for students

• Increase our k-12 Career and Technical Centers and Our Community College System to provide pathways to business and the trades

• Lower our in state tuition costs for higher education so our NH students are not burdened with excessive debt

• Review and cap the EFA program with greater oversight

• Address the over reliance on property taxes for funding to reduce inequities

• Consider serving and funding high need special education students on a county or statewide basis so that one community does not bear the cost alone

• If the state of NH increased its per pupil funding then ideas like open enrollment and providing alternative pathways for students other than the public schools would be easier to implement.  Collaborating between and among school districts could be improved.

• Administrative costs could be reduced and the number of SAUs could shrink, but only if the number of school boards is reduced.  Local control is part of what makes our NH schools strong, but that comes at a cost.  Administrative costs and the Number of SAUs are directly tied to the number of school boards that need to be served.

 

Taxes support student services.  Revenues have been reduced and major costs, such as retirement, have been downshifted to cities and towns causing local property taxes to rise; business taxes have been reduced and property taxes have skyrocketed.  Unfunded state mandates undermine local control of education and add to the issue.  It is difficult to discuss revenue sources when the only goal of some politicians is to reduce taxes.  We need to get beyond sound bites and name calling to address what services we want for our next generation and how to fund them equitably.  We cannot reduce funding and expect the same level of services from our schools.

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​Dean Cascadden
Democratic Party
Running for House. Belknap 2, Meredith

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1.How long have you lived in Belknap County? If you moved to the county, why did you choose to do so? If you have always lived in Belknap County, why have you stayed? If you’ve been a resident for one year or less, what prompted you to run so soon?
I am a NH native, spending most of my time in Grafton County. I grew up in Littleton and went to college in Hanover living in the Upper Valley for a decade. After five years away for graduate work, I returned to Bristol where I began my service as a school administrator and raised my family. I have lived in Belknap county for
10 years, moving to Meredith from Bristol when I built a house on Lake Wicwas.

2. Why are you running, and what is the most important legislative issue you hope to tackle the next legislative term?
I am running to make a difference in Educational and Environmental Policy. I feel I have expertise in both that can be useful to the legislative process. Gaining property tax relief while funding needed services is my biggest concern.

3. What do you see are the biggest needs or issues in Belknap County, and what would you do to fill that need?
County government provides needed public services efficiently and effectively. To help with that need, I would be present at meetings to review proposals of the Commission and seek input from constituents on how to best provide those services. Ensuring that County services such as the Nursing Home, Corrections, the Court and
Registry are adequately funded along with the critical social support for mental health, environmental conservation and University extension programs will be a priority.

4. What distinguishes you from the other candidates running in your district?
I have over two decades of NH educational leadership experience and I have been involved with the Lake Wicwas Association for over a decade. I have knowledge and experience in both education and environmental policy.

5. A recent independent report found deficiencies in the current Belknap County jail. Would you support construction of a building that meets modern standards? Or should the existing jail be renovated?
I would have to look at the two proposals. Renovation can be effective, but new construction often has advantages. As a Superintendent of Schools we often weighed such decisions. In this case, the upgrades needed are extensive and new construction would seem to be a better option. New public buildings often have significant upgrades in technology, safety and utility.

6. Do you agree that traditional public schools are essential to attracting business and retaining employees in Belknap county? Should our students’ education be funded at ‘adequate education’ levels as defined by the NH Supreme Court’s in the ConVal decision? Why or why not? 

Public schools are essential, but there does have to be alternative pathways for students and parents. School funding needs to be looked at as our present public school funding process is not working. When government provides a service, it needs to do so in an equitable manner. Funding education on property tax is inherently
unequal as towns have widely varying property valuations per student. This needs to be addressed in a thorough and thoughtful way.

7. The Belknap County Nursing Home continues to operate under capacity, yet it has a waiting list of Belknap clients. What will you do as a member of the Delegation, to assist the County Commission to maximize our nursing care facility?
The home may be under physical capacity, but as a provider of intense services it must be staffed adequately. Therefore, staffing levels, salaries and benefits would have to be examined. There must be a balance of accepting private pay patients that help balance the budget and caring for our citizens in the county who
deserve this care. I would carefully review the County Commission proposals to make sure that balance is fair and equitable.

8. The county nursing home and the Belknap Mountain Recreation Area, including Gunstock Mountain Resort, are revenue streams owned by Belknap County. As a County Delegation member, do you support leasing out the property to a private company, or selling those operations?
I do not. I am a supporter of government owned facilities, run by professional managers that serve the interest of the citizens. I grew up skiing on Cannon Mountain and this model provides an economic engine to the local community. They support recreation for citizens and promote our tourist economy which is vital to our county.

9. Opioids and other drugs continue to be a problem in our communities. What are your ideas to reduce the impact of these drugs in our community? What resources are you willing to commit?
Education, treatment and crisis intervention options are all critically important. Typical law enforcement response does not get to the root of the issues.

10. Belknap County’s delegation of state representatives has the poorest rate of attendance in the state at 78% for the 2024-25 legislative session. It’s so bad that the 2nd lowest, Strafford County, is 89%. Do you commit to attending at least 80% of committee meetings, and 90% or more of Session vote days?
Yes. I will show up and be involved.

11. The Belknap County Sheriff’s Department has entered into an agreement with U.S Immigration & Customs Enforcement 287(g) program agreement with Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). Do you support this, and why? 

No, I believe local law enforcement should not be doing federal work. As a school administrator I supported school resource officers and community policing. I am concerned that this agreement does not support that work.

12. The county nursing home and the Belknap Mountain Recreation Area, including
Gunstock Mountain Resort, are revenue streams owned by Belknap County. As a County Delegation member, do you support leasing out the property/operations to a private company, or selling the property/operations?
This is the same question as number 8.

13. Affordable housing continues to be a problem, causing challenges for our county economy, including limiting the worker pool, attracting business, and attracting younger families. If elected, what will you do to increase the stock of affordable housing?
I will not over-ride local zoning. More workforce housing needs to be constructed, but we need to be careful that ADUs and other development is not used for the short term rental market. Cluster development is community building, environmentally sensitive and should be encouraged. I will work to reestablish the effective
InvestNH and Housing Champion programs that were eliminated in the last legislative session. 

14. Without clean lakes and rivers, the Belknap County tourism economy would be in jeopardy. Should the county financially support pollution control and water quality monitoring programs? Why or why not?
Yes, absolutely, Our economy is dependent on this resource, and there are things we can do to protect the environment, while supporting recreational use, but we need data to make informed decisions. And Belknap County should support the organizations and agencies that do this critical work.

15. Do you agree that the tax reduction for State revenue streams (Business Enterprise Tax, Rooms & Meals, Income & Dividends Tax, et. al), resulted in downshifted costs to Belknap county and local schools, and increased local property taxes? Why or why not?
Yes. As I look at the data of state educational support to local schools, there is a correlation of the reduction in these revenue streams with the increasing property tax burden. Schools do need to run efficiently, but the present issue is a revenue allocation issue. We cannot claim that taxes have been reduced, if in reality, they
have been shifted from the state to the local taxpayer. 

 

16. Would you favor reforming the Delegation’s meeting format? Should the Delegation conduct monthly meetings? Would you increase public input opportunities? Continue with Roberts’ Rules?
In any board I have worked on, meetings with less formal structure can be effectively used to solve problems, brainstorm solutions and improve service. Monthly board meetings with structured times of public input is the norm for most school boards. I found that a relaxed version of Roberts Rules with plenty of discussion before motions are proposed is an effective meeting method. 

I also found that boards and administrators work best when they respect each other’s roles. The current County Delegation has created a somewhat strained relationship with the County Commissioners that needs to be addressed. The Commissioners have a functional day to day relationship with County Department heads and supported organizations. They know and understand the needs and issues. With that knowledge and understanding the Commissioners prepare and submit an annual budget. The Delegation should vigorously question the Commissioners, County Department heads and the “Outside Agencies” to defend their budget requests, but it appears that the current Delegation attempts to duplicate the work of the Commissioners without having the benefit of the knowledge base held by the Commissioners.
Respecting administrators while holding them accountable to the citizens I believe is the right balance for the Delegation.