City Councilor Hunt-Hawkins makes her quest for mayor official

Palana Hunt-Hawkins (Courtesy photo)

Palana Hunt-Hawkins is a Rochester City Councilor and candidate for Mayor of Rochester. This op-ed marks her official entry into the race.

The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported a 9 percent population growth in Rochester over the past decade. This is well over double New Hampshire's average rate of growth, marking the Lilac City's sharpest rise in population since the 1980s.

The City of Rochester was incorporated upon unceded Pennacook Abenaki farmland in 1722, later being settled in 1728. And it has come a long way from that settlement of just 60 families to a city of 32,500 and growing today. Rochester's history over the years since is worn proudly across its 45 square mile footprint, encompassing agricultural and conservation land, a classic New England downtown, and modern retail developments. Decades of efforts to encourage investment in and excitement for our downtown are beginning to produce tangible results, breathing new life into Rochester's historic downtown architecture.

Times of growth like this are an opportunity for cities to rewrite their story, reflect where we came from, and uplift the values that unite us. If Rochester continues to lean into our newfound confidence and doesn't lose sight of our long history, we have an opportunity to come out of this period of growth as a stronger, more resilient city.

My name is Palana Hunt-Hawkins and I am running for Mayor of Rochester because I am ready to lead this conversation for the next two years.

I live on Old Dover Road with my wife, two dogs, and 11 chickens. I have worked for or served on the boards of many high impact nonprofits including NH Women's Foundation, American Civil Liberties Union of NH, NH Harm Reduction Coalition, and 603 Forward. I have also had the good fortune of serving as a Rochester City Councilor for the past two years. In that time, I have regularly challenged myself to make the best votes for our city.

Rochester's downtown is finally moving along and attracting the kind of development it has long desired. If elected mayor, one area of development that I would prioritize with our City Manager and the next council would be finally taking action on the number of studies looking at parking and traffic patterns in the downtown. We have a clear need for a municipal parking structure in the downtown area.

As Rochester moves into a place of power in its redevelopment, the city should be also exercising prudent use of short-term tax breaks for developers like the Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive Program under NH RSA 79-E. These projects aim to boost our tax base and improve targeted existing architecture by offering tax incentives to developers, but come at the expense of temporarily forgone tax revenue at a time that our schools are hurting for it most.

The recent success of outdoor dining and decorative lighting on Main Street should be looked to as examples of simple things that Rochester has done to speak our values as a city. The city listened to community members with an idea, took action, and sent a clear message to others that Rochester is open for business. The Rochester Arts & Culture Commission recently obtained state funding to bring 18 new murals and a sculpture to the downtown. These little things bring a palpable change to the energy of a city.

With all the talk of growth and moving forward, our city needs to consider those who have already been left behind: Rochester's growing unsheltered population. This is an issue that impacts the people experiencing homelessness themselves, as well as community members and community health at-large. The Tri-City Mayor's Homelessness Task Force laid out seven strategies to reduce housing insecurity five years ago, which included naming the need for a reliable winter warming shelter. In the larger context of our commitment to public safety as a municipality - covering tens of millions of dollars yearly between our Police and Fire Departments - the investment in a regular winter warming shelter is a relatively low-cost solution that would reap year-round rewards for community health.

This is Rochester's Moment - the one that it has worked so hard for and has been waiting decades for - and how we as a city move through these next few years will determine the identity of the city for decades to come.

I hope to cross paths with as many Rochester voters as possible over the next two and half months. Please don't be a stranger if you have any questions and I hope to earn your vote on November 2nd.