I am writing this letter in an effort to reach out to the voters of Goffstown in the March 9th elections. I have been quite vocal about the passing of Article 8 on the ballot that was submitted as a special warrant article by petition. A month ago or more, the article was brought in front of the planning board for their approval and they took a vote of 6-1-0 not to recommend on the ballot.

Article 8 will expand the commercial zone to include a property at 75 Daniel Plummer Road in Pinardville that is just over 1 acre. It abuts a very large commercially-zoned parcel of property, and is directly across the street from an industrial zone with at least 100 companies from very large to small in size. There are deliveries and heavy traffic in this neighborhood all hours of the day and night and it is no longer a quiet place to live with all of the industrial noise. 

I'm asking voters to approve that the commercial boundary be moved over from the large commercial abutting land to include this smaller 1 acre parcel. It will allow the owner of the property to have choices what to do with the property in accordance with all local and state building codes, to maintain the aesthetics and the theme of the neighborhood, or to do nothing; but it gives the choice to the owner. 

It's well known that Goffstown's tax base is around 92% residential and 8% business. I have spoken with many companies that desired to locate in Goffstown as their first choice, but after negotiating with the Planning Board, incurring additional legal expenses, and architectural fees, they chose to move to neighboring towns and pay them the high assessed value taxes we should have been collecting that would be reducing all of our property taxes.

There are two things your government can do to when it comes to budgets: raise revenues or reduce spending. I don't hold much faith in the latter so the only choice is to raise revenue through allowing additional sources to join our community.

Homeowners in Goffstown, the 92% I mentioned a few sentences ago, well you're it, and the vast majority of tax burden has been placed directly on you and voting yes on article 8 is one way to give all of us a little tax relief. 

Article 8 is the message to the Planning Board that we need additional revenues by increasing our business property tax base and ease off all the hoops that well intended companies must jump through as they are looking to locate here. It may 
very well create local jobs in the development of property as well as employ local citizens with the type of work that is done at that place of work.

The passage of Article 8 will also bring in higher property taxes from this parcel, and in turn will help every taxpayer in Goffstown keep their property tax bill lower with no impact to local schools and other town services. There is also the issue of property ownership rights that should in most cases be preserved and allow the owner of the property to quietly enjoy his or her property to its highest and best use so long as
it is within the law and doesn't infringe on others rights. This property is clearly being under-utilized as a residence. I have had conversations with several neighbors 
around it and each of them has agreed that rezoning this property to commercial is a good idea and they support it.

Lastly, the question came to me, "Are you going to benefit from this"? My answer is "of course." I am an entrepreneur, a capitalist, and more important, a responsible businessman who understands that in any deal big or small, everyone needs to win, at least a little. I am a local Goffstown homeowner and a local Goffstown small business owner. I have spent countless hours volunteering for more civic organizations town projects and committees than I ever thought possible. 

People of Goffstown, I care about Goffstown, your town, my town, and will do what I can to keep it livable and beautiful with that small town charm we all call home. There are some that may not agree with my fiscal and social conservative philosophies but both my opponents and I are equally committed to preserving a safe and livable town. The question is how do we afford it? We do have a few choices. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions at 860-7891, or via email at Teachgolfeasy@aol.com.  

I am appealing to the all good citizens of Goffstown to Vote Yes on Article 8. 

"If resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then." (Thomas Jefferson)

John Hikel
Goffstown