Sievers said that she had nothing against Elliott personally, but wanted to bring the role of county treasurer to a new level.
"I decided to run for Grafton County Treasurer because secure finances are an integral part to the workings of every community, and I believe building and managing Grafton's finances is the most important job I could do," Sievers said. "Involvement in local politics is something I plan on doing my whole life."
Elliott, who has nearly 40 years of public service experience, including election to Plymouth town clerk and Grafton County Register of Deeds, said she doubts that Sievers is qualified for the position of treasurer.
"You have to have a financial background," Elliott said. "And I don't have a staff, so you have to have bookkeeping skills."
Democratic Lebanon Mayor Karen Liot Hill '00, claimed that Sievers, who worked as field director for Hill's 2006 campaign for Lebanon City Council, has plenty of experience and the right attitude for the job.
"My impression of Vanessa is that she's very organized, very capable and very competent." Hill said. "She'll know when she needs to get outside advice and counsel from people who have specific knowledge that she might not have yet."
Sievers was treasurer of the College Democrats, is a member of Dartmouth's Undergraduate Finance Committee and managed investments and bookkeeping for Montana businesses Ravine Marine and Forest Island Ranch, she said. Sievers was also outreach director for the College Democrats and served on the Democratic National Committee Youth Council. She additionally cited her experiences as a volunteer firefighter and member of the county school board in Montana as qualifications.
Elliott told the Valley News last week that she did not think a college student was an appropriate candidate for treasurer.
"A college student has their own schedule that they have to keep, and then they're home for the summer or they're home over the holiday vacations," Elliottt said. "How are you going to do a job like this and not be available?"
Sievers told The Dartmouth that she will remain on campus year-round until her graduation in 2010 and will therefore be present in Hanover for the majority of her two-year term. She added that she would rearrange her schedule should the need arise.
"I take this job seriously," Sievers said. "I wouldn't run for treasurer if I didn't think I could discharge the duties well."
The county treasurer is responsible for collecting revenue and investing it in banks to accrue interest until the county needs the money for spending. Elliott expects to receive about $18 million from the county in December, she said. This year her investments have earned the county approximately $250,000 in interest, she said. Elliott invests only in banks in order to protect the county's revenue from the volatility of the stock market. She divides the capital among twelve banks in Grafton County so the money stays in the community, she said.
The treasurer is not responsible for the county's payroll and does not have authority over budget planning and implementation, according to Elliott. The treasurer signs all checks that the county writes.
"I think it is the kind of job that could certainly be done by a student who could get away for a couple days each week, but I don't know that much about Vanessa," State Rep. Susan Almy, D-Grafton, said. "It's totally possible that someone with new ideas that was willing to listen to people explain why some of the new ideas wouldn't work at all would be better, but essentially [supporting Sievers] is a party thing for me."
Local Democratic officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Elliott does not have wide-ranging support in Grafton, and that she does not communicate well with other branches of the county government. One official said that Elliott's predecessor had done a much better job than Elliott, but another government source said that local officials support Sievers only because they think it would be easier to work with a Democrat than with a Republican.
Hill said she had no negative feelings towards Elliott but "enthusiastically" supported Sievers, adding that the changes she sees in Grafton County are exciting.
"Grafton County has been a very conservative county for a long period of time," she said. "I think the fact that Vanessa is running is a symbol of the growing strength of the Democratic ticket in Grafton County."
The local Democratic officials said that absence of straight-ticket voting, which in 2006 allowed voters to vote for every member of one party, makes the results of the election challenging to predict. They agreed with Hill's assessment of Grafton's Democratic trend, but also said that Elliott would benefit from greater name recognition and familiarity.
"Neither candidate has campaigned very much, so it kind of all comes down to how many Dartmouth students turn out for Vanessa or how many people recognize Carol," a local Democratic organizer said. "The backlash against Republicans won't be enough for Vanessa to win."
Sievers cited her work for Hill as influencing her decision to run for treasurer.
"Since I have lived in New Hampshire, it has become even more pertinent how politics affects every individual," she said. "I was truly inspired after working with Mayor Karen Liot Hill and seeing how younger, motivated politicians who are truly passionate about their jobs have made large differences in the area."
