Manchester mayoral candidates hold ‘civil discussion’ on the issues at The Rex

MANCHESTER, NH – With Election Day looming on Nov. 7 and Queen City residents primed to elect a new mayor, the two candidates faced off in a debate on Tuesday night in front of a packed crowd at The Rex Theater in downtown Manchester.

[WATCH: Replay of the forum is posted at the end of this story via YouTube.]

Manchester Ink Link and City Hall Pub hosted candidates Jay Ruais and Kevin Cavanaugh for a largely civil discussion on the issues the city’s next mayor will inevitably need to address.

With Manchester Ink Link associate editor Andrew Sylvia moderating, Ruais, a political newcomer and military veteran with experience working with nonprofits, and Cavanaugh, a Manchester native who has served as a state senator and an alderman of Ward 1 for eight years, began the evening in agreement that some of the significant issues facing the city can only be solved by crossing political aisles and coming together as a community.

The debate began with a discussion of Manchester’s problems with homelessness and a lack of affordable housing.

Ruais suggested that the city could implement homeless courts for people with criminal backgrounds that could prohibit them from securing employment or housing.

“It’s a way to meet a person where they are and determine what their needs are and work through the judicial system to break those barriers down and get into a sustainable life. You’re not going to arrest your way out of the problem,” said Ruais. “We cannot tolerate the disorder and dysfunction that we’re seeing on our streets, but also cannot tolerate the human suffering that we’re seeing. We have to be more proactive, not reactive in our approach.”

In what would become an evening motif, Cavanaugh agreed, pointing to his own record working with the Board of Aldermen to provide 2,000 affordable housing units in the city.

“We have to work together as a board and a community,” said Cavanaugh. “If we’re doing something that isn’t going to work, we need to move and pivot, and if it’s working, we need to amplify it. [Homelessness] is such a sad problem. It breaks your heart because you know these are someone’s family members.”

Both candidates also concurred that the city needs to invest in more housing developments.

“We need to build, build, build,” Cavanaugh said. “People want to stay in Manchester, and we need to talk about housing if we’re talking about homelessness. We have to work with builders, and we are working with them. Everyone should feel welcome in Manchester.”

Ruais believes the city needs to incentivize developers to build in the city and streamline the permitting process.

“We need to think long-term. I don’t want to be having this discussion in another 10 years where we’re still 20,000 units short. The best time to start something like this is yesterday. We are not moving quickly enough and treating it with the urgency it needs, and the mayor can play an important role in convening people and breaking down the barriers to get the housing market moving,” he said.

Sylvia then shifted the discussion to city services where both candidates lauded the efforts of the police and fire departments keeping people in the city safe.

Ruais, however, said one of his first duties as mayor would be to address reforming state bail laws. “If you have an arrest made at 3 p.m. and before the officer returns to do the paperwork that person is released then rearrested to assault and weapons charges, that is unsatisfactory,” he said.

The candidates, however, did disagree on the issue of public education and the construction of new school facilities suggested by Superintendent Jenn Gillis.

Citing a reduction in student population, Ruais said he was concerned about the burden new school buildings will place on the Manchester taxpayer, suggesting a more cost-effective option of renovations.

Cavanaugh, however, believes that the city needs to prioritize the investment, noting that the average age of Manchester school buildings is 75 years old.

“We have to look at this. If you want to invest in Manchester, you have to look at our schools. I’m not going to commit to anything without putting it to the public. To me, it’s an investment in our future. It’s an investment in our kids,” he said.

While municipal elections are, by design, non-partisan, Sylvia acknowledged that there are certainly partisan elements and asked each candidate how they intended to bring unity to sometimes divisive and contentious political sides.

“For me, I’ve always thought that good policies make good politics,” Ruais said, who has been endorsed by Gov. Chris Sununu. “If you are putting out good policies and listening to people, if you’re taking into account a vast array of viewpoints, then the politics tend to take care of themselves.”

Cavanaugh, who has earned the endorsements of Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and Sen. Maggie Hassan, cited his record for crossing the aisle as a city alderman and state senator.

“I went to the state senate thinking I was going to be arguing with people, that it was going to be terrible, but on my last day in the state senate, I was leaving with more friends than I showed up with. I’ll stand by my reputation for working together,” Cavanaugh said.

On the issue of Manchester’s struggle to attract and retain city employees, Ruais believes that increases in salaries and benefits need to be examined, but he also mentioned a discussion with a Manchester teacher whose students were being “unruly” and not receiving consequences.

“It’s different with every department, but I would start with the people who are doing their jobs, finding out their concerns and looking for solutions. It’s a listening process,” he said.

Cavanaugh again returned to his record with negotiations as a state senator and alderman, adding that it requires bipartisan efforts to keep people working for the city.

While both candidates support the expansion of the arts and culture in Manchester—praising the city’s new murals and Currier Museum—and agreed the city needs to expedite permitting processes for businesses and developers, they dissented on some issues of public transportation, particularly the proposal of a commuter rail.

Cavanaugh, who has worked on the transportation committee, supports the proposal for a commuter rail. “We have to look at it. Environmentally, we can get cars off the street, and we have to look at a rail service going to Manchester Airport. People want to come here so we have to make it easier,” he said.

Ruais said he has concerns about the costs of a rail service, which is estimated to cost $800 million upfront, as well as the long-term costs. “My concern is for the Manchester taxpayer and assuring that we’re not going to get caught holding the bag in the long-term,” he said, while acknowledging that transportation is “an inherent government function.”

In their final pleas for the voters’ confidence, both candidates highlighted their personal and professional experiences.

“My professional experiences, working in the Army and with nonprofits, have taught me a great deal because to be successful in those positions a vision is important, as well as having a plan to implement,” Ruais said. “The city of Manchester needs to plan ahead. We shouldn’t be reactive, we should be proactive. We need to have a long-term plan, and that’s what I would bring as mayor. As a leader, I would bring to you my plan so you can hold me accountable.”

Cavanaugh said his experiences have demonstrated his willingness to work with others.

“If there’s an issue we can fix together, I’ll do that. I’ll work with anyone who wants to fix an issue. There’s so much potential [in Manchester]. People want to be here. People are coming here, and people want to stay here. We have so much chance for success in Manchester, and we have that because of its citizens,” said Cavanaugh.