DERRY — The Alliance for Derry Taxpayers is winding down the old year under new leadership that hopes to bring fresh voices into the town's de facto opposition group.
At its September meeting, ADT members elected Stephanie Hooton as the group's new president, replacing outgoing head Sandy Shapiro. Phil Saxton was elected vice president and Doug Dinnsen was named membership director. Doug Newell is continuing in his role as communications director.
"What the ADT was looking for is a fresh voice," Hooton said. "They were looking for someone with a different perspective, kind of an outsider when you look at some of the folks who have been involved for a long time."
Hooton, 43, said she got involved in local politics late last year. She was a candidate for the current charter commission in last August's election and garnered 526 votes, several places behind the two-way tie for the last seat on the board.
But, Hooton says, she has no plans to run in Derry's next election, when the terms of town councilors Rick Metts, Brian Chirichello, and Brent Carney all expire.
"We have not identified any potential candidates," she said. "Our big focus will be trying to increase voter turnout, getting more awareness and less of the fighting that goes on in town. There are too many people willing to sit back and not get involved. If I could change one thing it would be to get the groups to work together toward a common goal, because all this infighting isn't going to get us anywhere."
She said ADT members are in preliminary discussions with school board members about ways the group might help Derry schools cope with anticipated cuts in state education funding. The group also plans to continue its push for greater transparency in funding for candidates in local elections.
"If you look at the last council election, you can see that some candidates were very well-funded. The question was asked as far as who was funding them and whether it influenced the way some things get voted on," Hooton said. She added that local Derry candidates should be held to the same reporting standards that apply to higher offices.
Hooton said the ADT is also interested in the Exit 4A project. "It's probably something that would help bring traffic into the new TIF district, but we need to know what our commitments are," she said. "It seems to me there are enough unanswered questions that should be investigated prior to just throwing money at it."
