Feels county and city at critical junction

BERLIN — Paul Grenier argues Coos County and the city of Berlin are at a critical junction. As the overall population of both the county and its largest community have declined, the average median age has gone up. The recent U.S. Census figures show household income and property values in the county lag behind the rest of the state.

Grenier, who has spent time analyzing the census data, calls the trends unhealthy for the county.

“I feel we have a 15-year window to address these critical issues before we run into a financial crisis in Coos County,” said Grenier, explaining why he is running for county commissioner from District 1.

With about a third of the county’s total population, Grenier said Berlin historically has been the economic engine for the region’s economy. Fixing Berlin’s economy, he reasons, will regenerate the economy of the entire county.

In the short-term, Grenier said the county needs to help the city attract federal funds to tear down dilapidated and vacant properties in Berlin. With an oversupply of substandard housing, Grenier said the surplus housing is driving down rents and property values. He said culling out some of that surplus will drive up the price of rents and raise property values for the city.

The city will benefit from the increased property values as will the county which uses property valuations in determining each community’s share of the county tax bill.

Grenier said getting rental prices up will discourage some of the migration into the city of people seeking cheap rents. He said the city has seen an influx of unemployed or unskilled people, many of whom who require social services. He said both the city and county bear some of the burden of providing those services. For the city, he said it may come in the form of higher special education costs while the county may see the impact in a higher workload for the sheriff and county attorney’s office.

Grenier said the county must also take a position against any additional public acquisition of land from private landowners. He said over 50 percent of the land in the county is now in public ownership.

Grenier said he is known for keeping a watchful eye on the city budget. He said he had been the principal author of the last nine municipal budgets. He said he would play a similar role on the commission.

“I think the county needs to have a fiscal disciplinarian sitting on its board,” he said.

Grenier said he feels the county budget is fairly tight. But he said he has questions about the wage and benefit structure for the county’s top employees.

He questions why the county commissioners receive health insurance benefits in addition to an annual salary of $6,150. He said he knows of no other elected position that comes with health insurance. In holding down the cost of county government, Grenier said the commission should lead by example.

“They should not have taxpayer subsidized health insurance,” he said.

Grenier also wants a full accounting of the salary and benefits for the county administrator. He said he understands the benefits include use of a home the county built at West Stewartstown years ago for the administrator.

Grenier said he would work to improve communications between the county and the municipalities, particularly Berlin.

“If I am elected county commissioner, the interests of the city of Berlin are going to be very well served,” he promised.

Grenier is a native of Berlin and a graduate of Berlin High School. He is employed by Berlin City Dealerships. He is completing his 11th year on the city council where he currently holds the most seniority. He is vice-chairman of the Berlin Airport Commission, an ex-officio member of the Berlin Industrial Development and Park Authority, a former member of the Berlin Economic Development Corp., a past president of the Berlin Maroons, and served two terms as a trustee of U.P.I.U Local 75.

Grenier noted that he represented the city on the hydro relicensing for the Androscoggin River dams and was the chief negotiator for the city in the settlement talks with Crown Vantage over the tax dispute. He performs with the North Woods Senior Drum and Bugle Corp.

The district one seat includes Berlin and Shelburne.