Desfosses, Nadzan and Joe Levasseur decide they need to take action for their children’s future

When you sit down with Brian Desfosses, Mark Nadzan and Joe Kelly Levasseur within one sentence of the conversation you realize that the common thread amongst each of them is family.

Desfosses, Nadzan and Joe Levasseur are all fathers to young children. Each one of them has a deep love for this city. Each one of them is running because they want to make sure that government lives within its means. And just like the generation before, each one of them wants to do all that they can to make sure that Manchester is a better place to live, work and raise a family for the next generation. 

Brian Desfosses, Alderman Ward 6

Talking to Brian Desfosses you find the conversation refreshingly honest. When asked questions Brian does not hesitate or waiver. His answers are clear, concise and immediate. He is open and frank and when it comes to politics this kind of candor is surprising but welcome. When asked how did you make your mind up to run for Alderman?

He replies, “that decisio nwas easy my opponent Garth Corriveau lacks leadership. As a taxpayer I watch the Alderman meetings and ask myself over and over again where is the voice for Ward 6? Where is our representative on the Board of Aldermen? I want someone that stands up and fights for the taxpayers, fights for my family and fights for my neighborhood.”

For Brian Desfosses the budget is anhot topic. “Watching the last budgetnprocess play out was epic. The onlynleadership anyone offered, whether you agreed with him or not, was the citizens of Manchester what he believed and why he built the budget he did. Alderman Corriveau did anything but that. I don’t recall any solutions offered by Garth Corriveau because he didn’t offer any.”

Brian Desfosses is a modern-family man. He and his wife, Maryam, are both employed full-time and
they watch the bottom line in their household. Soon their oldest daughter will be school-aged. “Selfishly
I want the best schools possible for my kids. I am a product of the city schools so I know how great they are. But the school district is not growing money trees and we need to live within a budget, just like Maryam and I do at our house.”

Brian is hopeful that he will bring home a victory on Tuesday, November 8th. He acknowledges that this is an uphill battle but points out that he is going door to door everyday, talking to voters and with the help of Mayor Gatsas working
hard to spread his message across Ward 6. “This is about the future and I will give it everything I’ve got. I have to my family is involved,” Brian Desfosses concluded.

Mark Nadzan, Alderman Ward 12

Mark Nadzan is eager. Eager to run, eager to win and eager to give Ward 12 the leadership on the Board of Alderman that it currently lacks. Mark Nadzan was brought to New Hampshire through work and decided to settle in Manchester because it had everything he was looking for to call home.

“Manchester is the economic engine of the state of New Hampshire, the people are friendly and welcoming, the atmosphere is fun and there’s a real sense of community in the neighborhoods that my wife and I fell in love with,” began Nadzan.

Mark Nadzan is a newcomer to city government. Nadzan noted, “In New Hampshire politics is part of everyday life. I can recall experiencing the First-in-the-Nation Primary for the first time and after that I decided I was going to become an informed city resident.”

“Like so many people do I said to myself I can’t complain if I’m not informed. So, I began watching the Aldermen meetings on Channel 22, reading the paper and perusing the city website. I quickly began to learn the process and
the issues and the more I learned the more frustrated I became.”

When asked why he made the transition from active participant to candidate he tells a funny story. “I woke up in the morning opened the paper and read the article about the lack of interest by city residents in running for office. I thought to myself how is this possible? With all the important issues at stake how is interest waning – and at that point my decision was made. I had to participate.”

Nadzan expresses clear frustration for his opponent and current Alderman Patrick Arnold’s motives. “It’s so obvious that Patrick Arnold treats the Board of Aldermen like a chess match. It’s a game. His priority is not b e i n g on the r i g h t side of the issue for Ward 12 residen s it’s abo t claiming victory.

As a taxpayer that’s distressing.” When asked for an example Nadzan referenced the current request for a moratorium on refugee resettlement

“This issue is a hot topic in Ward 12. The city budget is strained and Northwest Elementary is overcrowded. We need to step back, take a breath and reevaluate what we are doing. I feel for the refugees and their situation however we have to place a priority on the current needs of city residents rather than placing additional stress and strain on the current system. When Mayor Gatsas shed light on the situation Patrick Arnold barely cared enough to listen.” Nadzan recognizes that he is a newcomer to the city political scene but he is a quick study. He’s already worn out one pair of sneakers going door to door and he’s prepared to wear out as many as it takes to win. He looks forward to celebrating a victory on Tuesday, November 8th.

Joe Kelley Levasseur, Alderman At-Large

When you walk into Joe Kelly Levassuer’s restaurant, Manchester’s beloved Theo’s, in a booth somewhere you will find his “better half” Jamie and his son J.J.. They are a fixture and everyone always wants to say hello to 22 month old J.J.. Holding J.J. in his lap Levasseur begins, “J.J. changed my life. He changed my view of the world. People told me when Jamie was pregnant that the minute my son was born my life would be changed – they were right.”

Levasseur has lived in Manchester his entire life. You’d be hard pressed to find a resident in the city who doesn’t know Joe or know of Joe Kelly Levasseur. And Joe himself knows just about everything there is to know about city politics. He served as the Ward 3 Alderman from 2001 - 2003 and intricately understands the inner workings of city government.

“I am running because the Board of Aldermen is in desperate need of leadership. Someone needs to get to City Hall, dig in and get to work. Mayor Gatsas has made it very clear that the next budget is going to be ugly and we need to be creative and make tough decisions. Kicking the can down the road wont’ work and we are doing a disservice to the taxpayers and to J.J.”

Joe Kelly Levasseur admits he is a work-a-holic. “I have one speed and that’s on. That is a quality of mine that will go far at City Hall. The taxpayers needs someone that will be proactive and prepared for meetings. They need someone that is willing to do the research, ask the tough questions and get answers.”

Joe Kelly Levasseur is running as a team with best-friend Will Infantine for the two Alderman At-Large seats up for grabs on Tuesday, November 8th. Friend and running-mate Will Infantine added, “Joe and I are problem solvers. I’m not sure how many times Mayor Gatsas can explain the issues lurking on the horizons; these issues require action and they require individuals willing to make decisions. They require individuals to recognize that there is, in fact, a problem and have the willingness to solve it. The right people for that job are me an Joe.” Around the corner now playing with baby J.J. are Will Infantine’s two daughters, Addison and Lauren. Sitting with Joe and Will the bond between them feels more like family that running mates. However one this is clear – they are in it to win it!