Fisto Ndayishimiye

Forum Address

 

Good evening, and thank you to everyone joining us tonight.

 

Concord is a city with deep history and real momentum. Our responsibility now is to make sure that progress works for every neighborhood and every family. I’m running because I believe leadership must be about results, clear goals, honest budgeting, and decisions that strengthen the future instead of stretching the present.

 

During the past several years, I have built partnerships that deliver. As a community activist and advocate, I have worked across different organizations to connect people with opportunity, strengthen civic engagement, and build leadership in our neighborhoods. Through my activism, I have collaborated with Change for Concord, the American Friends Service Committee, and the Friends Committee on National Legislation, bringing Concord’s concerns to national attention and returning with practical solutions that work locally. In 2024, I was honored to be named one of New Hampshire’s “40 Under Forty,” recognition not for talk but for turning ideas into measurable change.

 

My agenda begins with fiscal innovation, reducing the pressure on homeowners by competing aggressively for state and federal grants, modernizing city buildings with energy-efficient technology, and forming public-private partnerships that create jobs while saving tax dollars. Every project should earn its keep; that’s responsible government.

 

It continues with housing and economic growth that make sense. We can reform zoning to build mixed-use and mixed-income homes near jobs and transit, convert underused buildings into apartments, and support small businesses through faster, clearer permitting. A healthy economy is one where local entrepreneurs can start, grow, and hire right here in Concord.

 

Safety must come from prevention and trust, after-school programs, mental-health support, and community policing that builds relationships before emergencies. We strengthen safety by strengthening people.

And I will champion sustainability that pays for itself: solar power on public buildings, the Merrimack River Greenway Trail, and modern waste systems that are fair to families and better for our environment. These are not luxury projects; they are investments that lower bills and raise the quality of life.

 

What I offer is straightforward: accountability that keeps promises, transparency that invites the public in, and service that measures success by the well-being of our residents. Concord does not need louder politics; it needs steadier leadership.

 

I’ve lived the values of this city, hard work, education, faith, and community, and I know that when we plan with purpose, we win together. The task ahead is not to divide problems by who they affect, but to unite solutions by how well they work.

 

I’m ready to serve with integrity, to deliver practical results, and to ensure that Concord remains a city where progress and fairness walk hand in hand.

 

Thank you.