Town Councilor (3-Year Term) - Jim Lawson

Address:  24 Deer Meadow Road

Occupation:  Retired Business Manager & Owner

Education:  BS Electrical Engineering, University of New Hampshire

How long have you lived in Durham?  20 years

Have you previously served on any government/community, civil boards, commissions or organizations? 

Experience With Durham Government
Town Council – 12 years
Council Representative to the Planning Board – 6 years
Council Representative to the Land Stewardship Subcommittee – 1 year
Council Representative to the Energy Committee – 3 years
Council Representative to the Agricultural Commission – 2 years
Council Representative to the Historic District Commission – 2 years
Economic Development Committee – 2 years
Zoning Board of Adjustment – 1 year
Traffic Safety Committee (volunteer focused on data collection and analysis) – 10 years

Other Community Experience
Berwick Academy Trustee – 12 years
Berwick Academy Officer and Chair of the Financial Affairs Committee – 8 years
McGregor Memorial EMS: Advanced Emergency Medical Technician – 4 years

Please provide a brief paragraph explaining your interest in being elected to the position for which you are running.

My wife Amy and I moved to Durham from Maryland with our young daughter in 2006. We returned to the Seacoast 24 years after graduating from UNH because of its excellent quality of life, and we feel fortunate to live in this community. Our daughter graduated from UNH and continues to live and work in the Seacoast.

Complementing my expertise as an electrical engineer, I developed strong financial and business management skills, first as an Operations Director of a large technology company and later as the partner and president of a successful startup that developed advanced communication products for the federal government. I leveraged many of these business skills while working on the Durham Town Council, regularly using data and data analysis to better inform my contributions. This built a strong foundation for working with other Councilors, Town staff and the community. I expect that will continue to be true over the next three years, as we address the challenges of rising costs, inadequate local housing opportunities, and downshifting of State costs to the local level – challenges faced by all New Hampshire communities and reflected in rising property taxes across the state.

If elected, I will work with the Town Administrator and Councilors on a realistic multi-year plan to stabilize property taxes. My plan will require developing fiscally-constrained goals for our budgets and ongoing cost/benefit analyses of the services being delivered, including identifying opportunities to re-architect how services are delivered for greater efficiency.

Like other Councilors, I will prioritize downtown redevelopment and vibrancy. I believe the right type of redevelopment at 66 Main Street will add significantly to the downtown’s character while simultaneously increasing the tax base. The expansion of development in our commercially zoned districts is similarly critical, and I am committed to collaborating with UNH as the university moves forward on its vision for the West Edge.

With your support, I look forward to continuing to serve the community for the next three years on the Town Council. I will continue to seek an informed and fair approach to issues brought forward for our consideration.