In her own words - - -

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CITIZENS FOR BELKNAP – CANDIDATE SURVEY – 2026
Submitted by:
Liz Charlwood, Candidate, Belknap District 4, Belmont
Liz4Belmont@gmail.com
Liz4Belmont.com

1. How long have you lived in Belknap County?  Moved to Belknap County from
Concord in 2019. 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?

We fell in love with a beautiful place in the welcoming town of Belmont. As a child, my family spent many
special days on the lake (our boat was at Glendale Marina back in the day). We commuted up from Goffstown, NH for boating and skiing.  My father volunteered with the ski patrol at Gunstock and I was on skis learning at 3 years old. The region is one of my favorite places with so many memories. 

2. Why are you running, and what is the most important legislative issue you
hope to tackle the next legislative term?  

Belmont deserves to have a state representative that shows up at the State House and the County Delegation
meetings, and brings Belmont’s voice to these meetings and discussions. I'm concerned about the rising property taxes and unaffordable housing in general - especially for families and seniors. I want to bring an engaged practical voice of
Belmont to both the County Delegation and Concord.

3. What do you see are the biggest needs or issues in Belknap County, and what
would you do to fill that need?

 I believe good county government requires thoughtful decisions—not simply cutting services without considering the impact on our communities. 

4. What distinguishes you from the other candidates running in your district?

I respect anyone willing to serve. My focus is simply on earning the trust of my
community by listening to their concerns, working hard to represent Belmont, and
coming up with practical solutions that help make Belmont (and New Hampshire)
more affordable.

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 review the needs assessment with an open mind. We need a safe, secure facility while also ensuring
Belknap resident's tax dollars are spent wisely. If renovation can be completed in a
way that meets long-term needs and is financially feasible, it deserves serious consideration - also, if a new facility is ultimately necessary, we should demonstrate why along with a plan for covering costs with the least impact to our tax-paying residents as possible.

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?  

Yes, we need strong public schools - they're an important pillar of healthy communities. Our public
schools help prepare students for life and make our communities more attractive
when families and employers are considering where to settle - as a Realtor, I know
buyers often choose homes based on the quality of the school system - and home
values reflect that.

 

Belmont has dedicated teachers and a strong school community. I believe we should continue supporting our schools, while working to ensure the state is a reliable partner with funding them. Too much of the cost has shifted to local
property taxpayers - we need thoughtful solutions that maintain the quality while improving affordability for Belmont (and NH) families. I want to listen to our stakeholders - parents, educators, students, business owners, and residents - about what's working well, where we can improve, and how we can best prepare our
students for the future.

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 Belknap County Nursing Home is one of our county's most important
assets. We need to understand why it's operating under capacity and work together
to address those challenges. As a member of the Delegation, I'll  work with the
Commissioners and nursing home leadership to understand the issues (staffing,
financial, etc) and actively work on practical solutions to help us as a County
(safely!) serve more Belknap County residents while also being responsible
stewards of taxpayer dollars.

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?

No! The Belknap County Nursing Home and the Belknap Mountain Recreation Area,

including Gunstock Mountain Resort, are valuable county assets and should remain
publicly owned. The nursing home provides essential care for county residents and
their families, while Gunstock offers affordable, year-round recreation. Just this
week, I spoke with someone whose dear friend suffered a fall and now needs the
care and housing provided by the Belknap County Nursing Home. With nowhere
else to go, the nursing home is vital to his livelihood. It's a community resource we
should protect.

 

I also believe Belknap County should continue providing affordable,
year-round recreational opportunities that make this region such a wonderful place
to live. County services cost literally a few cents each day, from each of us. The
return on investment is great in so many ways. They support our local economy and
generate revenue that benefits the county. These are long-term investments and
services, not just line items in the county budget.

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?  

Well, first of all, the State of NH has robbed profits from state liquor stores that were intended to fund addiction services. We must stop the looting and hold the state accountable to its fiscal obligations. In one
way or another, we're all affected by the opioid crisis, I would support the
collaboration of law enforcement, healthcare providers, recovery organizations, and
schools/community partners to ensure county and state resources are used
effectively.

 

I also believe we should invest in programs that help people rebuild their
lives through treatment, counseling, stable housing, and employment, while
continuing to hold drug dealers accountable for fueling this problem. We need to
make sure the state honors its commitments and doesn’t downshift the cost to our
communities and local property taxpayers. As a state that owns and operates the
liquor stores and promotes liquor sales (which benefits our state budget greatly), we
should live up to our commitment to fund addiction services.

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! One of the primary reasons I'm running for State Representative is to
ensure Belmont has representation that is engaged and dependable at both the
state and county levels. Residents deserve representatives who show up,
participate, are prepared, and make sure Belmont's voice is heard. I am committed
to attending committee meetings and legislative sessions (unless there’s an
unavoidable circumstance). If elected, my constituents can expect me to be present,
engaged, and accountable.

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

Cooperation requires time, personnel, and resources. Belknap County already
has limited resources, and as a steward of taxpayer dollars, I would not support
dedicating county resources to immigration enforcement, which is primarily the
responsibility of the federal government. My priority as a member of the County
Delegation is ensuring that Belknap County's limited resources are directed toward
the services and public safety needs that most directly affect our residents.

 

Duplicated question; please ignore.  
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?

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?  

As a Realtor and mom to five “30-somethings”, I see firsthand the challenges that rising housing costs create for young families, seniors, first-time homebuyers. As a county resident and consumer, I also see the struggle
employers have trying to attract workers. The lack of affordable housing is affecting
both our economy and the strength of our communities. I support practical, locally
driven solutions to expand housing opportunities while also respecting the character
of our communities and the local control of these efforts. That includes encouraging
responsible workforce and senior housing options, pushing back on unnecessary
barriers to development, and working with our communities and organizations to
increase housing options. I spent much of my career in the world of affordable
housing - it's not just a housing issue—it's an economic development issue. We
need to ensure that the people who work in our communities can also afford to live
here.

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. Clean lakes and rivers are key to Belknap County's quality of life. They support tourism, recreation,
property values, local businesses, and help attract families and visitors to our region.

Preventing problems before they become crises are usually a lot less expensive
than having to fix the problem after the damage is done. I would actively engage in
these discussions and support fiscally responsible, effective approaches to protect
and improve the health of our lakes and rivers. Personally, the Lakes Region has
been a special part of my life for many years, and I want to ensure they're protected
for future generations to enjoy as well.

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. While reducing state taxes may sound
appealing, when state revenues decline without a reasonable and sustainable plan
to meet the state's commitments, the financial burden often shifts to local property
taxpayers. New Hampshire has important responsibilities to fund, like education,
county government and our town's municipal aid. I believe we need a fiscally
responsible approach that keeps our state competitive while also living up to those
commitments. A tax cut really isn't a cut if it's simply shifting the burden to our local
property taxpayers.

16. Would you favor reforming the Delegation’s meeting format? Should the
Delegation conduct monthly meetings?  

Yes. Monthly meetings would help the
Delegation stay informed, address issues proactively, and make better decisions on
behalf of Belknap County residents.

Would you increase public input opportunities?  Yes.  Residents deserve the
opportunity to provide input and share concerns - we need to provide the opportunity
for residents to better understand what the county provides and the associated
issues.   
Continue with Roberts’ Rules? Meetings should always be conducted efficiently
and respectfully (with or without the parliamentary procedures). In my
experience, the best meetings focus on ensuring productive and inclusive
discussion, and sound decision-making rather than getting bogged down in
excessive procedures – so bottom line, I think good meeting management (IE: run
with an agenda that is distributed in advance, begin and end on time, provide
attendees an opportunity to engage with ideas and reactions, be respectful, take
notes and record action items and decisions, if further discussion is needed,
schedule a special session). This is more effective than specifically following

Roberts’ Rules.