Seven candidates are running to fill two seats on the Allenstown Select Board. Three candidates could not be reached, as the town administrator and town clerk refused to release contact information for the candidates, citing individual privacy concerns despite their efforts to seek office and govern the town. 

Vying for the two seats on the board are Diane Adinolfo, John Childs, Kristopher Fowler and Laura Lambert, David Bouffard, Roger Staley and incumbent selectman James Rodger.  Bouffard, Staley and Rodger could not be reached for interviews. 

DIANE ADINOLFO

Diane Adinolfo, a lifelong resident, said she wants to play a meaningful part in the town'sgrowth.

“Allenstown has the opportunity to become a town that’s forward-thinking, progressive and well-respected,” she said.

Adinolfo is a retired quality assurance manager and has experience on the town’s budget committee and zoning and planning boards.

Adinolfo believes her professional experience will help to grease the wheels of town government. She said she would “look at internal procedures that were written over many different years and by many different people,” procedures she believes “could use reviewing.”

As a member of the select board, Adinolfo said she would prioritize communication with state representatives who play a role in “votes that are critical to how much money the town will get or not get.”

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JOHN CHILDS

When it comes to John Childs’ pitch to voters, his mainstay sign says it all. It reads, “Control the budget.” Childs is currently a member of the Allenstown Sewer Commission and the Municipal Budget Committee, which he has served on for three years.

“It’s unsustainable for the average citizen here in Allenstown,” Childs said, referring to the recent tax rate increases.

One of the changes Childs hoped for is already underway: Allenstown recently announced that a consultant had completed an audit of the town’s 2022 spending. 

When it comes to the warrant article proposing to change the current system of town governance, Childs would like to see SB2 stay. As for receiving funding support from the state legislature, Childs said “I think our representatives are conservative, so that’s not going to open up the floodgates.”

The alternative is for Allenstown to look inward, according to Childs, who said he would like see the town operating budget level funded until two major development projects, Hillsbrook Village senior housing and apartments at 25 Canal, begin to contribute to the town’s tax revenue.

KRISTOPHER FOWLER

Kristopher Fowler remembers the Allenstown of his childhood as vibrant and tight-knit. He has deep roots in town: His father was a selectman and served as town moderator for 20 years. Fowler is the secretary of the Allenstown Historical Society and said he decided to run for the select board because it was “time to expand my horizons.”

Fowler, who works as a real estate appraiser with the state Department of Revenue, believes Allenstown could alleviate some of the burden on property taxpayers by embracing a relatively untapped source of revenue: new small businesses.

“We have the land and there’s a lot of potential here, it could be one of the biggest areas of growth,” Fowler explained. He said he doesn’t want to see big box stores moving into town, but small companies and businesses should be welcome.

If elected, Fowler said he would focus on advocating for community members whose voices he feels are often sidelined or forgotten.

“It shouldn’t matter if they live in a million-dollar home or in a mobile home park,” Fowler said.

LAURA LAMBERT

A political outsider with community roots, Laura Lambert said she is running to bring a fresh set of eyes to the Allenstown Select Board.

Lambert has been a mail carrier in Allenstown and Pembroke for 17 years, and in addition to her role on the zoning board, she serves as the president of the Allenstown Firefighters Association. Her husband, Eric, is the town’s fire chief.

If elected, Lambert said she would focus on recruiting help from state representatives to bring more affordable housing to the community.

“You need housing that’s affordable for people, more senior housing, too,” she said.

As a member of the select board, Lambert said she would aim to be a bridge between the board and town residents.

 “I want to be proactive and available for members of the community to feel comfortable coming to me whether it’s on the street, by phone call, by email,” Lambert said.

HOT TOPIC: In Allenstown, voters will weigh moving away from SB2 and adopting a traditional form of self-governance. Currently, as an SB2 town, the annual town meeting is split into two sessions where residents deliberate on one day and vote on another.

BUDGET: In Allenstown, the proposed town budget of $6.2 million exceeds last year’s budget by upwards of $600,000, a 10.6% increase. The proposed school budget of $13.9 million represents a 2% increase over the current budget and would have a tax impact of nine cents per $1,000 of property valuation.

NOTEWORTHY ARTICLES: The Allenstown school warrant includes an article to raise $77,580 in funds to add a new bus to the district’s transportation contract and two articles to allow the school board to sell the Armand R. Dupont  and Allenstown Elementary schools.

WHEN AND WHERE: Voting day is  March 11. Polls will be open at Allenstown Elementary at 30 Main St. from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.