This story was originally produced by The Keene Sentinel. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
Former state Sen. Jay Kahn announced his campaign for a two-year term as mayor of Keene on Monday evening, in front of a crowd of about 100 people at the Historical Society of Cheshire County.
"Now that we have a room full of people, friends, supporters, let's make this official: I am formally announcing that I will file my candidacy next week to be the city of Keene's next mayor," he told the crowd.
Kahn, 72, and an Elm City resident of 35 years, was vice president of finance and planning at Keene State College from 1988-2016, a city councilor in 2016, and most recently represented District 10 in the N.H. Senate from 2016-2022. Now, Kahn thinks he's ready for Keene's corner office.
"I believe I can add value to the role of mayor in Keene," he said in an interview with The Sentinel last week, subject to an embargo that expired with Monday's announcement. "My leadership at Keene State College and in the community, together with my role as state senator, have given me a range of relationships and insights into organizations and people throughout the state."
Kahn said Keene needs a leader who will help transition it into the next decade.
"This next mayor will bring the city toward the 2030s," he said. "And the city needs an up-to-date strategic plan that carries that vision, that defines what those goals are and lays a path for how those goals will be executed and assessed."
George Hansel, Keene's current mayor, announced May 1 that he will not seek a third term in office. Kahn is the first mayoral candidate this city election cycle to publicly declare.
Hansel is a Republican and Kahn a Democrat, although Keene's charter states that city primary and general elections are "non-partisan in nature," and ballots do not indicate party affiliation.
The filing period to declare for mayor or any other city office begins at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 16, according to the city's website.
The mayor's responsibilities include serving as the official head of the city and appointing all members of the city council's standing committees. Per the Keene charter, mayors are expected to preside at all meetings of the city council, but do not have the power to vote at them, except to break a tie.
Among those in attendance at Kahn's announcement Monday was Kendall Lane, who served as mayor from 2012 to 2019. Lane said he thinks Kahn would make a good fit for the office.
"I think it's very exciting to have Jay running for mayor," Lane said Monday night. "When he was state senator, he demonstrated over and over again his commitment to the community. ... I think he would serve the city very well."
N.H. Sen. Donovan Fenton, who succeeded Kahn in his District 10 seat, said Kahn has a lot of experience in local politics due to his tenure in the Senate.
"He's done a lot of work for Cheshire County and District 10," Fenton, D-Keene, said. "I think with a track record like that you would be in very good hands."
Whoever is elected to the post in November will also be tasked with shepherding Keene through the beginning of its more than $14 million infrastructure project to replace outdated water, drainage and sewage systems. Groundbreaking for the three-year project is planned for 2025.
On July 20, city councilors approved a preliminary design for how Keene's downtown should look when Main Street is put back together. The “multi-lane hybrid” design will maintain the signalized traffic circle at Central Square, while expanding it by about 7,000 square feet, and will also keep a minimum of two lanes traveling north and south on Main Street. In addition, the design shows room for protected bicycle lanes on both sides of Main Street and on all sides of Central Square, between the parking spaces and the sidewalk.
"I think there's certainly differing opinions about Keene's downtown and what it means for the city," Kahn told The Sentinel. "I think we all know that it is the hub of Keene and Keene is the hub of the Monadnock Region and so we all care about the heart of our city."
While the hybrid design represents a compromise for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists, Kahn said he thinks the project could benefit from a clearer vision that defines how all three will be able to coexist.
"You take the bike issue; it is something that we need to pay attention to," he said. "Many more people are using multi-modal devices and vehicles for transportation. But it should not cause us to overlook the livable downtown, the walkable and safe downtown."
Kahn also said he's focused on maintaining a strong network of essential workers and first-responders in the city between the police and fire departments as well as Keene's medical and other health care institutions.
One of his goals, he said, would be boosting the local workforce and expanding the housing supply to be able to accommodate more workers.
In a housing needs assessment report Camoin Associates presented to Keene city councilors in April, the New York-based consulting group found that vacancy rates in Keene were below 4 percent for homeowners and rental units, whereas a healthy vacancy rate would be around 5 percent. Camoin estimated that an additional 1,400 units will be needed in Keene over the next 10 years to meet the current demand.
One of the strategies to tackle this issue, Kahn said, is for the city to work with landowners of underutilized properties in Keene to identify areas for more housing.
"Housing is not going to be solved with a silver bullet, but it's going to take a number of strategies with the city working with developers and property owners to make the best use of the properties in the city."
Kahn said his experience as a state senator and a longtime employee of Keene State give him a vast awareness of Keene and its influence on Cheshire County.
"I love Keene ... and I want to see this city be successful in the future," he said. "To do that we need to have a positive outlook and a means for achieving that and sustaining it for our future. That’s what I want to contribute to."
