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October 2026 NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM Page 13
By maRC BouRassa
fixed incomes. Our towns strug- gle to fund essential services, and younger families find it harder to put down roots.
I DO NOT support broad based taxes like an income tax or sales tax. But rejecting those options does not mean rejecting solutions. We can reduce pres- sure on property taxpayers while strengthening state revenues through targeted, fair, fiscally re- sponsible reforms.
Potential Solutions — WITHOUT Broad Based Taxes
• Adjust highway tolls for nonresidents. Out of state travelers use our roads daily. Modest toll adjustments could generate meaningful revenue without burdening New Hamp- shire residents.
• Revisit the Business Profits Tax (BPT) and Busi- ness Enterprise Tax (BET). Recent rate cuts have reduced
state revenue. We should ex- amine how much was lost and whether restoring a portion of these rates — particularly for large corporations — could stabi- lize our budget without harming small and midsized businesses.
• Reevaluate the Interest & Dividends Tax for high income investors. Instead of eliminating this tax entirely, we should consider a threshold — for example, taxing only individ- uals with more than $50,000 in annual interest and dividend in- come. This protects retirees and middle class savers while ensur- ing those with significant passive income contribute fairly.
These targeted measures would diversify revenue, reduce property taxes, and maintain New Hampshire’s commitment to avoiding broad based taxes.
2. Veterans’ Services: A System That Must Do Better
New Hampshire is the only state with a VA hospital that is not full service. The Manchester VA lacks inpatient care and spe- cialty services, forcing veterans — including elderly and disabled vets — to travel long distances for essential treatment. For veterans in Grafton County, the situation is even worse.
Key Problems
• No full service VA hospital in the state
• Little to no Veterans Service Officer (VSO) coverage in many counties
• A fragmented transportation network that leaves rural and el- derly veterans stranded
Solutions We Should Pursue
• Push for a full service VA hospital in New Hampshire through federal partnerships and veterans’ organizations.
• Expand VSO coverage
statewide to ensure every vet- eran has help navigating benefits and healthcare.
• Create a unified state- wide veterans’ transpor- tation system to guarantee reliable access to medical ap- pointments.
A Commitment to Practical, People Focused Leadership
These issues are not about one party or the other. They are about fairness, responsibility, and honoring our obligations to our children, our veterans and all other citizens. In Concord, I will fight to reduce property taxes, strengthen our fiscal position without any broad based taxes, deliver full service care for veter- ans, and ensure rural communi- ties are not left behind.
New Hampshire can do better — and with thoughtful, targeted reforms, we will.
New Hampshire is a state with extraordinary strengths — strong communities, deep civic engagement, and a tradition of local control. Yet two longstand- ing challenges continue to hold us back: the highest property tax burden in the nation and a vet- erans’ services system that fails to meet the needs of those who served. These issues affect work- ing families, retirees, and veter- ans in every corner of our state, especially rural regions like Graf- ton County.
1. New Hampshire’s Property Tax Crisis
New Hampshire relies more heavily on property taxes than any other state, placing an ex- treme burden on working class and middle class homeowners, renters who pay property taxes indirectly, and seniors living on
Marc Bourassa for State Representative
Elections
How Voters Can Prepare for Election Day
The right to vote is one of the foundations of democracy. Exer- cising that right is vital to creating a nation where everyone
feels as though their voice has been heard.
Given the significance
of voting and all that the
right to vote symbolizes
for so many people, Elec-
tion Day is an incredibly important day on the American calendar. In recognition of that signif- icance, voters can consider these tips to prepare for Election Day so they can exercise their right to vote as efficiently as possible.
• Make sure you’re registered to vote. With the exception of North Dakota, each state has its own voter registration deadlines, and voters must register prior to those deadlines in order to vote on Election Day. Voters can visit the US Vote Foundation at usvotefoundation.org to view the election dates and deadlines in their states and U.S. territories. Voters who know they are not registered can visit Vote.gov to begin the registration process.
• Find your polling place. Voters cannot simply vote at any polling place. Each voter is as-
signed a polling place, and that place is generally within close proximity to a voter’s home. Local schools or churches often serve as polling locations, but the official guide to government in- formation and services USA.gov urges voters to contact their state or territorial election office in advance of Election Day to de- termine their designated polling place. Voters who received sam- ple ballots in the mail also can check those ballots to see if their polling place is listed.
• Know the ID requirements. Voter ID requirements vary from state to state, so voters are urged
to determine what is required to vote at their local polling place. The National Conference of
State Legislatures has a detailed, state-by-state list of voter identification requirements that can be accessed for free at ncsl. org. Voters who are un- certain about the ID re- quirements at their local polling place are urged to visit the site in advance of Election Day so they
know what to expect and can meet all ID requirements when they show up to vote.
• Study your sample ballot. Sample ballots can help voters familiarize themselves with can- didates in local and national elec- tions. Studying these ballots in advance and learning what each candidate stands for can help voters make the most informed voting decision.
Individuals who still have questions about what to expect on Election Day can visit USA. gov/election-day to speak with a live USA.gov agent.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE STATE REPRESENTATIVE
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
COMPETENCE COMPETENCE
CHARACTER CHARACTER
COMMON SENSE COMMON SENSE
COMPETENCE
CHARACTER
COMMON SENSE
FIGHTING FOR OUR FAMILIES FIGHTING FOR OUR FAMILIES
FIGHTING FOR OUR FAMILIES
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Lower Property Taxes
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Strong Public Schools with Adequate Funding Strong Public Schools with Adequate Funding
Strong Public Schools with Adequate Funding
Increase Affordability for All
Increase Affordability for All Increase Affordability for All
Lower Costs for Groceries, Gas, Energy and Utilities
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