Focus on the bottom line.
The County Treasurer is responsible for safeguarding all County funds. None of us want a repeat of 2008 when the then-County Administrator was convicted for stealing over $40,000. That means the Treasurer must work with the professional county staff to ensure that the right controls and processes such as audits are in place, implement the budget approved by the County Delegation, and follow the directives of the County Commissioners.
We all have political views and ideas about public policy, and this position is not the place for them. The role of County Treasurer is non-political and should remain non-partisan.
If I am elected, I promise to continue this tradition of service.
Role and experience
The County Treasurer’s responsibilities are defined in New Hampshire RSA 29.
The Treasurer works with the County Administrator and Finance Director to borrow operating funds against expected tax payments from county property owners per RSA 29:8-b. This borrowing is known as Tax Anticipation Notes. It is important that the County borrows at the most favorable rates available to save taxpayers money.
My professional background is systems engineering, management, and regulatory compliance. That work experience includes not just software and electronics engineering, but also financial planning, budgeting, accounting, project planning, process, and people skills.
At startups and Fortune 500 companies like Phillips Healthcare, Fitbit, and Google, I have worked on complex projects and led teams as large as 60 people. In those roles I was directly responsible for budgets rising well into the millions, as well as developing business forecasts factoring in revenue and borrowing costs. That experience built on my college studies in stocks and bonds, derivatives, corporate finance, and computer science.
I led a team developing a new intravascular imaging tool for interventional cardiology at Volcano, now part of Philips Healthcare. I also worked on a hospital defibrillator, and endoscopes for diagnostic and therapeutic uses such as biopsies, kidney stone removal, and surgery. At Fitbit I was responsible for data privacy protection including HIPAA and HITRUST in our partnerships with healthcare companies. Regulatory compliance was critical to all of those roles, so I have worked with outside auditors and testing labs to get objective data and proof that our work met the highest standards for safety and correctness.
The professional county staff collects tax payments and borrows money ahead of payments to fund essential services like the jail, nursing home, and sheriff’s department, so we already have accountants. We need someone as Treasurer with the experience and mindset to look for opportunities to save taxpayers money, and to anticipate problems and make sure they are caught early.
Having managed large budgets, complex investments, and regulatory challenges, I can hit the ground running as your County Treasurer.
Endorsements
Eliza Leadbeater (Independent)
Former Executive Director, Belknap County Economic Development Council
For 15 years I served our county by leading the Belknap County Economic Development Council. During my tenure, I worked closely with the county delegation, the commissioners, and the county administration staff to build up our economy and dramatically increase our tax base by helping existing businesses in every sector of our economy to expand and also attract new economic opportunities for the region.
I am an independent voter and I am endorsing Jason Sproul for Belknap County treasurer because I know how well Michael Muzzey has served us for several decades in that role. I have known Jason for over a decade and when I learned that Mike has decided not to run I asked Jason if he would run and serve the county in this capacity.
