Political newcomer eyes mayor's office, calls spending, transparency biggest issues

The Robbins family, from left, Aalyah, Deiainy, Douglass, wife Devin, Declan, Douglass III with their dogs Donald and Noel (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - Douglass Robbins knows the duties of a Rochester mayor aren't much more than that of a "glorified ribbon cutter," but says he can't find out how to cut wasteful spending unless he's closer to how city government works.
"At least I'll still be getting inside to understand where the wasteful spending is," he said on Monday. "You've got to see it hands on to change it."
And when he does find waste the newcomer to politics says he'll "bring that out for the public to hear."
Formerly of Lynn, Mass., Robbins describes himself as a regular blue-collar guy. He said he, his wife and their four children moved to Rochester in 2018.
"I love Rochester," he said. "But I don't like seeing the wasteful spending that I'm seeing."
He brought up back to back school superintendent buyouts, sweet real estate development deals that put off higher taxes for far too long and constant legal battles between the city and RAMA (The Fairgrounds) that all cost taxpayers their hard-earned money.
He also thinks the city owns too much real estate, and shafted mobile home owners when they doubled their taxes last year.
"They doubled their taxes and I have a friend, he's has a mobile home and they double his taxes," he fumed. "You're kidding me, you don't even own the land and your mobile home is worth $350,000?"
He said his two biggest reasons for entering the race is the wasteful spending and lack of transparency from city government.
"There needs to be more transparency from city officials. The people deserve to know more about how their money is being spent," he said. "Rochester needs someone like me. I'll make sure money is not being spent poorly."
Robbins said his wife and family are all onboard with his candidacy.
"If she wasn't for it, I wouldn't be doing it," he added. "I have a lot to learn, and now that I'm jumping into it I'm learning a lot more and that's a good thing."
His political Facebook page is Douglass Robbins for Mayor of Rochester NH