Contact: Ryan Mahoney, ryan@amplifynh.org
As Mayor Ruais Announces Re-Election Bid, Manchester Wants Answers On Broken Tax Promises And Proof of Progress
MANCHESTER, NH – Today, Mayor Jay Ruais announced his candidacy for re-election, but failed to lay out a clear case on why he deserves a second term. Ruais’s website re-election platform appears to be a carbon copy of his previous campaign, raising the critical question: If his goals remain the same, what has he done to move Manchester forward?
Despite promising to “finally deliver tax relief” during his 2023 campaign, Mayor Ruais oversaw a 3.82% increase in property taxes in 2024—the largest hike in more than a decade. Even conservative talk show host Rich Girard, a frequent advocate for Republican policies in Manchester, condemned Ruais for “betraying” New Hampshire taxpayers and “sabotaging” the GOP aldermen’s efforts to block the tax increase. Ruais’s tax hikes far surpass any increase under former Democratic Mayor Joyce Craig, and to make matters worse, the Republican-backed SWEPT (Statewide Education Property Tax) also rose by 8.06% in Manchester in 2024. His promise in 2025? “Finally deliver tax relief.”
“Mayor Ruais oversaw Manchester’s largest property tax increase in more than a decade. He promised ‘tax relief,’ but did the opposite. He owes residents more than recycled talking points and broken promises on key issues like taxes,” said Amplify New Hampshire Executive Director Ryan Mahoney. “If this past week is any indication of his future leadership, Manchester should be concerned. His radio silence on the Trump Administration’s federal funding freeze speaks volumes. He failed to protect federal funding that puts police on streets, combats veteran homelessness, and keeps the doors to preschool open. If Mayor Ruais wants another term, he needs to explain why he didn’t deliver during his first one.”
On public safety, Ruais claims it’s a top priority, yet he has remained silent as crucial funding is at risk. He has done nothing to fight against the Trump Administration’s federal funding freezes that would strip $1.5 million from the COPS Grant program, removing officers from Manchester’s streets and making the city less safe. He has failed to advocate for protecting $16 million in Head Start funding that supports Manchester’s preschoolers. And he has ignored the urgent need to protect the $14 million in federal funding dedicated to fighting veteran homelessness in Manchester and across the state.
According to the NH Coalition to End Homelessness’s 2024 State of Homelessness in NH Annual Report, New Hampshire saw a staggering 52% increase in statewide homelessness—the largest increase of any state in the country under Governor Sununu. Ruais has yet to demonstrate any tangible progress on this crisis, despite his continued rhetoric on the issue.
About Amplify New Hampshire
Amplify New Hampshire is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization founded to keep Granite Staters informed of the decisions made in local, state, and federal government that will impact their lives and empower them to enact change. For more information, visit amplifynh.org.