Alex Torpey, the newly installed Hanover Town Manager, spoke to Dartmouth on January 11 about his vision for local government. Torpey, who joined the Hanover community this year, had previously served as the mayor of his hometown of South Orange, New Jersey. He had also taught as a visiting professor of governance and technology at Seton Hall University and worked as a consultant providing technical assistance to municipalities. The event was moderated by Ronald G. Shaiko, a Senior Fellow and Associate Director for Curricular and Research Programs at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center.
Torpey, who is drawn to the broader goals of local government and to exploring different municipalities’ solutions to problems, has lofty ideas to rethink governance. Philosophically, he believes that, while Americans value the freedoms which numerous choices allow, the multitude of options is not necessarily a good thing. Torpey posited that, at the municipal level, decisions can be overwhelming for the community to make, especially with the burden of many outcomes. To confound the problem, those who show up to vote do not always represent broad demographics, notably young people. At the end of the day, most people don’t participate in the discussions that affect them. Processes that embrace all stakeholders invariably yield better results.
Drawing from his New Jersey roots, he made distinctions between his experience there and in Grafton County. New Jersey, he said, is hyper-governed, where the counties play a more active role in the administration of towns. He noted that New Jersey is a Home Rule state, wherein towns are granted any power not expressly prohibited; New Hampshire, by contrast, follows the Dillon Rule, which affords less power to localities. Consequently, he believes that towns struggle to proactively address issues and that “every town is approaching this on an island.” Torpey was critical of the state government, accusing it of extending little guidance and not being cohesively aligned with local entities. He suggested that zoning procedures, for example, could be better organized and more systematic.
Rigid divisions between governments, Torpey said, are impeding affordable housing efforts. Policy is established when towns determine a blueprint, face challenges from nonprofit objections, and ultimately seek out a retired judge to reconcile the differences. As there is no set procedure, each town is on its own, and each reaches different levels of housing strategy. Torpey hopes that towns can work together—rather than compete—for cheaper options. He acknowledged that property taxes in New Hampshire, which are among the highest in the nation, are out of local hands, but he is optimistic about other avenues for cost alleviation. Housing, he insisted, should be mapped strategically to save homeowners on transportation costs. To do that, Hanover, Lebanon, and the entire Upper Valley need to coordinate projects, rather than ignore the collective benefit by tackling master plans at different times.
Torpey, who was elected mayor of his hometown straight out of college, wants to see more youth involvement in local government. “A lot of young people don’t want to work in government,” he said, and this, of course, is limiting the labor pool. To avoid towns competing for workers in a shrinking market, he wants to form a welcoming culture for the youthful spirit. Torpey is a firm believer in the “work hard, play hard” philosophy, which allows workers to step away from the job and enjoy themselves. He is, however, critical of college students disregarding the importance of municipal select boards. “Not being able to choose a Speaker of the House is the least of their problems,” he said.
Listeners in attendance, who posed questions during the second half of the event, were particularly concerned about environmental issues. Torpey, who reciprocated the interest, said that “we can be a national, international example.” When asked about potential Hanover environmental initiatives, Torpey noted that the town’s goal is to have all residents operating on sustainable energy by 2030. He is also optimistic about possible improvements to waste management and composting. “We are not doing good [sic.] without waistream in the U.S.,” which is releasing superfluous amounts of methane into the atmosphere. By composting and improving consumption habits, he wants the town to make its mark on climate change. Torpey was also critical of the use of paper in town business. While paper use leads to deforestation, it also requires more vehicle travel to deliver mail, and therefore more emissions. “We can have a pretty significant impact,” he insisted, by transitioning to electronic paperwork.
Torpey and Shaiko, the moderator, discussed the Hanover-Dartmouth relationship and the improvements that can be made to bolster cooperation. Shaiko, who appeared to be concerned about recent College actions, warned Torpey about Dartmouth forcing Hanover into decisions without consultation and agreement. “There is no real future without a better working relationship,” said Torpey, who is optimistic about collaboration efforts. While some residents have expressed concerns about the relationship, he noted that progress has been made between the Trustees and the Selectmen, who are planning a “cadence of meetings” to stay in sync. “Myself and the incoming president of the College [sic.] have a lot to work on together,” he said. Torpey offered praise for coordination in other areas, specifically between Hanover Police and Safety and Security.
Student body president David Millman ’23 was in attendance and asked about the town’s inclusion of student voices. Torpey came out in support of student-identified positions in town and recognized the diverse groups that need representation. Torpey argued that Hanover needs to be asking “who are our audiences in town” and promised to come on campus and engage with students at any time. In recognizing the interests of students, he jested, “That’s tough when CVS is on the list of late-night food options.” Torpey expressed excitement about developing projects with local business owners that will provide more opportunities to students.
Torpey is certainly optimistic about the future of Town Hall and its relationship with the College. He now has the chance to put his fresh perspective to the test (and, apparently, to save Earth from mail trucks). Hanover will have to wait to see how well he does.
Great article — and glad to see that Torpey is indicating a willingness to collaborate with the College.