Full Name: Darryl W. Perry
Age: 35
Education: Associates in Mass Communications
Occupation: Owner/Managing Editor of Free Press Publications, Author, Radio Personality
Organizations to which you belong / have belonged: LAVA (Founder & Life Member), Ballot Access Fairness Coalition (Founder), Deny Consent (Co-Founder), NH Liberty Party (Co-Founder & Co-Chair), Zero Aggression Project (Associate Founder), Second Amendment Foundation (Life member), Libertarian Party (Life member), Cheshire TV, Downsize DC, Firearms Owners Against Crime, Free State Project
Public/government Service: At-Large Rep to the National Committee of the Boston Tea Party 2008-2010
Chairman of the National Committee of the Boston Tea Party 2010-2012
Co-Chair NH Liberty Party 2012-Present
Board Member, Cheshire TV 2012-Present
1. Why are you running for political office in Keene?
In a State that prides itself on political involvement, it is somewhat ironic that there are so few candidates for local office. I am running to give the voters a choice. On November 5, voters will have two choices for mayor, had I not filed, they would not have had a choice at all.
2. What qualities do you possess that would be an asset in this position?
The vast majority of the current elected members of the Keene government try attempt to dictate how people should behave. I bring a different perspective to the table; a perspective that does not involve trying to dictate or centrally-plan the minutia of the community.
3. What is the role of government?
This is a tricky question. Currently, the role of government seems to be something along the lines of: take money from people to serve the special interests of the majority.
However, that is in direct contrast to what the NH Constitution says the role of government should be. “Government being instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole community, and not for the private interest or emolument of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, whenever the ends of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.”
Additionally, the US Declaration of Independence states that governments are created to protect “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” and “whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it”
4. What do you believe is the purpose of having a comprehensive master plan?
Comprehensive master plans are the elected officials attempt to dictate how people will live, work and play in a given municipality.
5. What role should the City Council play in implementing the comprehensive master plan?
NONE! There should not be a comprehensive master plan.
6. What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing the city at this time?
1) Taxes: According to the 2013-2014 proposed budget, Keene taxpayers sent $22,545,272 to the city government in the form of property tax in FY 2013, and the city increases the property tax rate every year. This breaks down to $2,490 per household per year in taxes just to the City of Keene. The tax rate has increased 12.61%, and tax revenues have increased 12.97% since 2008. That corresponds to an average tax increase of $285.95 per household over the last 5 years. If tax revenue continues to increase by 12.97% every 5 years, by 2041 property tax revenues will have more than doubled to be an average of $5,101.83 per household per year just to the City of Keene. This pattern of increases in not sustainable!
My proposal to remedy this situation is to have the city government auction off all city owned property, excepting the City Hall, Police Department & Municipal Services Facility on Marlboro St. in order to offset the current tax burden. That amounts to auctioning off +/-2,460.4510 acres with an estimated value of $48.4 million. This would allow the City to operate for almost 18 months without the need to raise any additional revenue. This 18 month period could be extended if non-essential functions were privatized, and would allow the Council time to implement a system of voluntarily funding what remains of the City government.
2) Municipal regulation: Aside from the nearly $3 million raised per year by the city in licenses, permits & fees, inhabitants and business-owners spent untold amounts of money complying with various zoning regulations and other ordinances that dictate how one is to live or work. These regulations hurt business and contribute to the stagnant economy within the City of Keene.
My proposal to remedy this situation is to abolish the Code Enforcement Department and repeal all zoning regulations.
3) Victimless “crimes”: The Keene Police Department has an annual budget of roughly $6 million, with a large percentage of the time and resources being used to arrest, detain, investigate and fine people who have created no victim. There have been 221 arrests for drug or alcohol related offenses in the past year, this does not include the people who have been given a summons for such offense, only those who have been arrested. There have been an additional 67 arrests for victimless driving offenses and an additional 88 arrests for other offenses without victims.
My proposal to remedy this situation would be to instruct Chief Meola and the officers of the Keene Police Department to focus their time and resources to only investigating, detaining and arresting individuals for those offenses that actually create a victim.
7. What is your assessment of the economy in Keene, and what (if anything) can be done to stimulate the economy?
The economy of Keene is not thriving the way it should be. This is directly related to the fact that Keene has high property taxes. I have outlined my solution in answer 6.
8. What should be the City’s main priorities relative to budgetary spending?
The budget for the City of Keene continues to increase. I believe that all government-funded services that do not directly protect life, liberty & pursuit of happiness should be removed from the government budget. The easiest way to accomplish this is by removing from the list of city-owned property the properties used to carry-out these services. Once the City auctions off the parks, the Department of Parks & Recreation no longer needs to be a government-funded department. Once the City of Keene eliminates zoning ordinances, there no longer needs to be a Code Enforcement Department. As outlined in my answer to question 6, I believe the City should implement a system of voluntarily funding what remains of the City government after the City auctions all city owned property, excepting the City Hall, Police Department & Municipal Services Facility on Marlboro St.
