Reflecting on the Jan. 5 meeting that marked his first day as Grafton County's 3rd District commissioner, Tea Party member Omer Ahern, Jr. expressed concern as to how effectively he would be able to work with fellow commissioners when facing challenges that affect the community. As he attempted to inject his Tea Party platform into the county's political agenda including downsizing government and "asking the tough questions" Ahern's two proposals to reduce commissioners' salaries by 10 percent and to replace Democrat Michael Cryans as current commissioner were rejected, Ahern said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
Ahern, who will work with both Cryans and Republican Raymond Burton, said he thinks his Tea Party affiliation appealed to voters because it offered "a different direction" for the county.
"I believe that we are taxed enough already in this county and in this state," he said. "I believe in smaller government, less taxes and operating our government here in New Hampshire according to our state Constitution, which predates the federal Constitution."
Ahern also said he thinks many Grafton County residents including those living in Lebanon and Hanover share his desire to change the way their county government is run and promote personal fiscal responsibility and "open and free markets."
As commissioner, Ahern said he plans to remain committed to fiscal responsibility.
"The biggest thing that I'm going to try to do is responsibly attempt to reduce the county budget with the idea of trying to reduce taxes," Ahern said.
Although the unemployment rate in Grafton County is lower than the national average, Ahern said he does not believe the numbers accurately reflect the reality of the situation.
Ahern said he hopes to take the county in a new direction, an idea that was an integral part of his campaign last November. Ahern was elected on Nov. 2 and assumed his office Jan. 5.
At his first Commission meeting, Ahern nominated Burton to assume the role of Commission chair. When Burton declined, Ahern nominated himself to serve, according to Cryans. Both Burton and Cryans voted against this motion.
Cryans explained that he and Burton voted against a reduction in commissioners' salaries another idea proposed by Ahern because such a change will not have a measurable impact on the local budget.
"I don't think consequently it's going to make a lot of difference because we make $11,000 per year," Cryans said. "We have a process for how the budget is set with regards to pay."
For the past six years, the commissioners have opted not to accept a salary increase, according to Cryans.
Ahern also said he believes the county can save money by using existing land at the Grafton County complex, along with inmate labor, to produce fuel for farm tractors and diesel operated plow trucks. Ahern has been working with University of New Hampshire chemical engineering professor Ihab Farag to develop a proposal concerning the local production of biodiesel, he said.
"We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars per year on heating fuel fuel that for the most part comes from foreign sources," Ahern said.
It is possible to use the sewage from the complex to grow algae, which can be harvested for its high oil content, according to Ahern.
Cryans said that Ahern's biodiesel idea is unlikely to produce lower taxes for county residents.
"Things like major changes to your heating plant will not result in savings in the short term," Cryans said. "Initial costs will usually offset any kind of reductions for a while."
Ahern also criticized the county's participation in a 2008 lawsuit regarding the construction of a new jail that cost thousands of dollars in legal expenses. Ahern said he would "try very hard" to avoid needless lawsuits in the future.
"The county came out of a lawsuit a year ago that cost the county almost $400,000 in legal fees," Ahern said. "In my mind, the lawsuit could have been avoided, but it wasn't."
Two Grafton County residents sued the county in 2008, alleging that the county's meetings and records relating to the construction of a new jail did not comply with New Hampshire's Right to Know Law. The New Hampshire Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit last year.
Cryans said that the county was not to blame for the expensive lawsuit and that the construction of the jail is currently under budget.
"We were not the ones that started the lawsuit we had to defend ourselves," Cryans said. "The bad news is we spent $400,000. The good news is it looks like we'll save $5 million."
Ahern said he believes that his involvement in the community, experience in county politics and his slogan "Hit a Homer; Vote for Omer" placed on signs resembling baseballs contributed to his victory.
"To be perfectly honest with you, it was a surprise to me that I got elected," he said.
Michael Randall '12, a member of the College Republicans, said that he hopes that the introduction of Tea Party activists into mainstream politics will improve government.
"My hope is that the influx of Tea Party candidates at the local, state and federal levels is going to make the government more reflective of the people's will," Randall said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. "Many of the candidates that we saw elected both in New Hampshire and nationwide are genuine grassroots acitivists small business owners in many cases who will bring wih them the experience of grappling with the challenges that everyday Americans face."
