Mayoral candidate
Charles Reynolds
Age: 35, Dover res. 35 yrs.
Occupation: police and security consultant
Public Experience: Planning Board Alternate. City Council, Dover Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem., Charter Comm., Ethics Comm., Chief of Police

Occupation: Police and Security Consultant

How long have you lived in Dover: 35 years

Have you served on any boards, councils or committees?

Served as an alternate Planning Board Member. Was on the City Council once before, Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem. Charter Commission, Ethics Commission, Chief of Police from 1972 to 1991. 

As Dover becomes a more desirable place to live, how can the city keep it an affordable place for low-income residents?  

My campaign is just about that, controlling spending. It’s a simple proposition, control spending for folks out there that are working everyday and trying to pay the bills and send their kids to school. It means managing spending more efficiently, establishing priorities and making good choices. 

What have you accomplished for Dover that you are most proud of and what would you like to accomplish if you are elected?

I think the thing that we have to accomplish is making the city more affordable through budget prioritization and better expenditures. We need to restore confidence in the city council and city administration in general through openness in government and making people feel welcome when they ask questions. We need to convince the public once again that the government is doing the best we can for them. I don’t think we have and I think we can do better.

What is an important environmental issue facing Dover?

The biggest is that the Tolend Landfill needs to be resolved. There is also some environmental concern with Willand Pond. We have to work with Somersworth to try to get that resolved.

What is the most recent cultural or artistic event that you have attended in Dover?

Cocheco Arts Festival. 

What type of new businesses would you like to see come to Dover?

If I could plan it out, I would want diversified types of business coming to Dover. I would feel really comfortable if we had diversified businesses, so if one sector went down the community wouldn’t suffer. I want businesses that provide good paying jobs and want to participate in the community and be good neighbors. Just to be here and provide x number of jobs is OK, but it’s a plus if they bring good paying jobs and take and active part in community activities and events.

Do you support a tax cap for Dover?   

Given the present climate, I’d have to say yes. But I would have no plans to vote through budgets that were more than CPI anyway. We have growth and with good management we could be able to control the budget. Everyone runs on the fact that they’re going to be frugal and watch their dollars. They go through all that every election, but once the council is in office they have an affinity to vote for 6 or 7 percent increases. I’ve never seen a budget you couldn’t reduce, including my own. There needs to be a little more honesty in budgeting and I think you can stay within our limits. I don’t’ think that any place with a tax cap has had to lay off any police officers, fire fighters or teachers. All this rhetoric about budgets is essentially rhetoric. We’re not talking about cutting the budget. We’re talking about how we’re going to increase the budget over time. We talk about it the wrong way. We talk about it in negative terms. I think we can make choices to stay within the budget.

Dover has a growing art community. What can the city do to support arts and artists?