Republican Kelly Ayotte and Democrat Joyce Craig spent much of Tuesday’s Mount Washington Valley Economic Council debate assailing others' trustworthiness.
But the candidates for governor mostly agreed when it came to two key issues affecting communities in the White Mountains: whether to regulate short-term rentals and what to do about an influx of out-of-state trash in New Hampshire landfills.
Both candidates said they’d be open to letting communities police or ban short-term rentals, a topic of heated debate in tourism-heavy areas where housing costs are high.
"It is something I would consider,” Craig said. “I think this is a local control issue."
Ayotte agreed short-term rentals are a significant issue in some communities.
"I believe that this is an issue we should partner on, that we should work together on, in terms of that local voice," Ayotte said.
The two candidates also agreed that, if elected, they’d consider supporting a law to allow cities and towns to impose their own fees on overnight tourist visits.
“I would want to make sure we are not passing on costs to families that want to come up to this beautiful area,” Ayotte said.
“I understand the impact that additional services and resources have on our public safety, have on our public works, and have on our infrastructure,” Craig added.
Asked about a controversial landfill proposed near Forest Lake in Dalton, both candidates said they oppose the project and are eager to limit the importation of trash to New Hampshire landfills statewide. Efforts to change landfill regulations in recent years have either failed in the Legislature or been vetoed by Gov. Chris Sununu.
“I say we don’t need the out-of-state trash,” Ayotte said.
“I don’t understand why this is happening,” Craig added, “and it shouldn’t be going forward.,”
When it came to broader economic issues, neither candidate suggested substantive ideas when questioned on how they'd address a potential billion-dollar state budget deficit.
Ayotte proposed “leveraging technology,” while Craig, talked up “energy efficiency,’ pursuing federal grants and legalizing marijuana.
The two also differed on education policy, with Craig promising to push for the repeal of the state’s Education Freedom Accounts program and to boost state support for public schools.
Ayotte, meanwhile, said education policy should remain the purview of lawmakers, and said she disagreed with rulings issued by Rockingham County Superior Court Judge David Ruoff that found the state unconstitutionally underfunds local schools by millions.