# Leonard Bell for New Hampshire State Senate > Elect Leonard Bell to represent Manchester Wards 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and Litchfield in the New Hampshire State Senate! --- ## Home URL: https://www.bellfornewhampshire.com NO INCOME OR SALES TAX • FUNDING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS • LOWERING PROPERTY TAXES • MAKING HOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE # Service, Leadership, Community. ## Fighting for families in Manchester & Litchfield ## No Income or Sales Tax **Not now, not ever.** Leonard swore an oath to our country when he served in the U.S. Navy, and **his word is his bond**. Leonard will never support creating an income or sales tax here in New Hampshire. ## Funding our public schools **Education is the foundation of opportunity**. Having taught in Manchester elementary schools and spending over a decade advising students at SNHU, Leonard knows exactly where the system is falling short. ## Lowering property taxes **Property taxes in New Hampshire are too high: plain and simple.** Leonard believes in keeping more money in the pockets of the people who earned it, and will fight to lower the property tax burden on New Hampshire families. ## Making housing more affordable **Young couples, working families, and recent graduates are being priced out of Manchester and Litchfield**. Leonard is committed to finding real, practical solutions that keep New Hampshire families rooted in their communities and give first-time buyers a real shot at homeownership. With **20 years of service in the U.S. Navy** and **more than 15 years working in education**, Leonard brings the experience we need to solve our most pressing challenges. These are some of the **top priorities** he will be focused on serving you in Concord. **checkMark** ## Leonard Bell: A Record of Service. **Leonard Bell is a retired U.S. Navy Veteran and Manchester, NH, resident who has dedicated his life to service.** After 20 years in the military, he went on to earn his Master of Education and build a career helping veterans and their families succeed at Southern New Hampshire University. With over 30 years of experience in leadership and mentoring, Leonard knows what it means to show up for others. Learn More ###### Support Our Campaign ## We’re grateful for your donations! Your contributions help us reach more voters. ###### sign up to ## Get Involved --- ## About URL: https://www.bellfornewhampshire.com/about # About Leonard #### Leonard Bell is a Manchester, New Hampshire resident, retired U.S. Navy veteran, and dedicated public servant with more than three decades of experience in leadership, mentoring, and community service. Born and raised in Pembroke, Kentucky, Leonard learned the values of hard work and perseverance early in life. He went on to serve 20 years in the United States Navy, where he developed deep expertise in personnel management, leadership, and the unique challenges facing military families. His military career took him far from home, but it was in Manchester, New Hampshire where he put down roots and built his life. After retiring from the Navy, Leonard pursued his own education at Southern New Hampshire University, earning a Master of Education. That experience—navigating college as a veteran—gave him a firsthand understanding of the obstacles service members face when transitioning to civilian life. He channeled that experience into a career at SNHU, where he has served as an Academic Advisor, Career Advising Team Lead, and Adjunct Faculty Instructor, helping countless veterans and military families achieve their educational and professional goals. Throughout his career, Leonard has been known as a communicator, a mentor, and a steady presence for those who need guidance. At home, he is equally grounded—a devoted family man whose commitment to the people he loves mirrors his commitment to the broader community around him. He brings to everything he does the discipline forged over two decades of military service, paired with the empathy and warmth of someone who knows that family is the foundation of any strong community. Leonard Bell believes that service doesn't end when you take off the uniform. It is a lifelong calling, and one he is ready to bring to the people of Manchester and Litchfield. --- ## Issues URL: https://www.bellfornewhampshire.com/issues # Where Leonard Bell stands on the issues ###### learn more about ## Leonard Bell's Top Priorities ###### economy **Lowering your property taxes** New Hampshire property taxes are some of the highest in the nation, and people in Manchester and Litchfield feel it as much as anywhere. For over a decade, **the leadership in Concord has walked away from its responsibility to our schools,** cutting state funding and shifting the burden onto towns like Manchester and Litchfield while giving huge handouts to the largest corporations in our state. Every time the state cuts school funding or fails to support pensions for our police and firefighters, property taxes go up to fill the gap. Litchfield alone is missing **more than $3 million** a year in state education funding to be adequate for our kids, and Manchester is missing **more than** **$35 million** citywide. If we actually fund our schools at the state level with fiscally responsible approaches to revenue, we can lower our local property taxes. **It's a win-win.** Here are some ways that we can do that: - **Establish an income limit on the school voucher program,** which is estimated to take more than $50 million out of public school classrooms each year - **We have to finally legalize cannabis.** We shouldn't be losing out to the revenue and jobs being created in our neighboring states of Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts - **The largest corporations should pay their fair share.** If the biggest corporations operating in New Hampshire want to profit off our infrastructure and the labor of Granite Staters, some of that money should be coming back into our communities — without increasing the burden on our small businesses ###### education **Fighting for our public schools** **I worked in Manchester public elementary schools for almost 4 years** while finishing my college degree at night, raising my kids, and coaching basketball right here in New Hampshire. It was because of programs like Troops to Teachers that I was able to give back to our community after 20 years in the Navy. Over the last decade working in public elementary schools and higher ed, **I have seen first-hand how education is the key to building an economy that actually works for the next generation.** But today, we see that public education is under attack, and it’s why I’m running for State Senate. In Manchester and Litchfield, 90% of our kids and their families are counting on good public schools, regardless of whether they are headed to a four-year university, a trade program, or straight into the workforce. Our children are depending on us, and we can't let them down. **This is how I'll fight for our public schools in Concord:** - **Fund our public schools** to finally meet our constitutional obligation to provide an adequate education - Establish an income limit on the school voucher program to **put money back into public school classrooms** - Advocate for tax credits and loan programs to **attract new educators** and **retain our current workforce** In the State Senate, **I’ll work with anyone, Republican or Democrat**, to ensure that our state tax dollars are used effectively, our kids and schools are supported, and that we’re actually working to improve our education system. ###### public safety **Supporting our police & firefighters** There is no more sacred duty than to uphold one’s oath to protect and serve. That selflessness is on display from our law enforcement officers and firefighters every single day. **In the State Senate, I’ll work tirelessly to make sure our first responders have the resources they need to keep our communities safe and receive the benefits they deserve.** When the state fails to protect the pensions of the men and women who keep our towns safe, the burden falls on our cities and property taxes to make up the difference. It's time our state takes back some of that responsibility and make adequate investments in our police and firefighter pensions. This isn't an issue we can walk away from. These Granite Staters have made a commitment to our communities, and the state has to uphold its end of the bargain. By making these investments on the state level, we can give local governments more financial breathing room to **lower your local property taxes.** ###### families **Access to affordable, high-quality child care** I'm a grandfather of 10 (with one on the way!) and I've seen up close how vital child care is for Granite State parents — and what it looks like for young families to go without it. Families in New Hampshire are facing an impossible burden when it comes to finding child care: the price tag for child care for just one infant or toddler can be more than $15,000, let alone finding care for multiple children. **This is unsustainable, plain and simple.** There is so much work to do here in New Hampshire to attract a stable workforce, ensure child care access is affordable, and actually invest the dollars required so that working families have choices in providers that can meet their individual needs. - **We need to pay child care workers a living wage.** Right now, the average annual salary for these critical jobs is less than $35,000 a year. That level of pay is far from attractive for anyone considering a career in this field. - **I'll support investments in the NH Child Care Scholarship program**, leveling the playing field for those who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford these crucial services. In the State Senate, I will be a champion for working families who want to build a life here in New Hampshire. Our future is nothing without our children, and it's past time that we get serious about delivering real solutions for our communities. ###### Economy **No income or sales tax. Not now, not ever** I swore an oath to our country when I served in the U.S. Navy, and **my word is my bond**. Our seniors are being priced out of their retirements, middle class families are struggling to make ends meet, and our young people cannot imagine a future where they are able to stay in New Hampshire. As Granite Staters continue to face rising costs, my position is crystal clear: **I will never support an income or sales tax here in New Hampshire.** ###### education **Accountability for the school voucher program** For the last 15 years, I have worked in public schools and higher education. I understand that when our schools aren’t properly funded, our kids are missing out on receiving the best education possible. The school voucher program carried out through "Education Freedom Accounts" (EFA's) **have taken more than 200 million dollars out of public classrooms,** given that money to those who can **already afford private school**, and **jacked up your property taxes** by depriving our school districts of state resources. In Concord, I'll be laser focused on addressing the disaster brought about by the school voucher program: - Career politicians have neglected their duty to provide real transparency and accountability for EFA's — we deserve to know how our tax dollars are being spent, and **we need a full financial accounting of these school vouchers** - Right now, the wealthiest of the wealthy in New Hampshire are taking advantage of EFA's to pay for private schools. **I'll vote to establish an income limit** for school vouchers to put money back into our classrooms ###### energy **Stopping data centers** Across the country, we have seen the consequences of the rapid expansion of data centers. Whether it is drains on local energy supply, polluting and worsening our air quality, or significant strains on local water usage, New Hampshire needs to be vigilant on how we address the impacts of data centers on our communities. I am going to be clear: **We need a moratorium on data centers here in New Hampshire.** Not in a year or a month — **now.** As we continue to address the impacts of AI on our workforce and state, we need to ensure that above all else, **Granite Staters are protected.** **I have spent my life solving problems**, from managing millions in taxpayer dollars in the military and teaching in the classroom to helping veterans in our community get back on their feet. I know the issues facing Manchester and Litchfield families because I live them every day. Here's where I stand. --- ## Endorsements URL: https://www.bellfornewhampshire.com/endorsements # Endorsements ###### the coalition to move new hampshire forward ## ORGANIZATIONS ENDORSING LEONARD BELL Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire Manchester Police Patrolman's Association Manchester Association of Police Supervisors Teamsters Local 633 AFL-CIO NH National Education Association-NH American Federation of Teachers-NH VoteVets --- ## Volunteer URL: https://www.bellfornewhampshire.com/volunteer ###### Sign up to ## Get Involved **Leonard is a 20 year Navy Retired Veteran and educator ready to deliver for working families in Manchester in Litchfield.** **We're excited to hit the ground running, and we'd love supporters like you to sign up to help elect Leonard in November!** --- ## Contact URL: https://www.bellfornewhampshire.com/contact ###### reach out TO our campaign ## We’ll respond as soon as we can! --- ## News: Headline goes here URL: https://www.bellfornewhampshire.com/news/news-2 Put your press release text here. **If you want to link an external news source,** open up the accordion for this item on the sidebar and switch the Post Publishing Setting to "Custom Link". 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