Robbie Hinkel Warach for Ward 2

DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, September 11, 2023

City Councilor Robbie Warach, formerly Robbie Hinkel, is pleased to announce his campaign for a second two-year term to City Council in Dover, New Hampshire. “While the issues facing Dover are challenging, we must continue to address them through a lens of inclusion for all our residents, with a focus on real, long-term solutions,” Warach said. In a second term, Councilor Warach's plans include renewing our efforts for addressing homelessness, and continuing funding for the social workers assigned to the police department to help people with Substance Use Disorder get into recovery programs. He also plans to further the City’s goals of increasing attainable housing stock and introducing new policies to address climate change and resilience.

Warach believes the Tri-City task force on homelessness was a great start on developing a plan to address homelessness, but momentum for implementing solutions has stalled, and plans for transitional housing at the County Complex have been halted by state representatives from rural towns in the northern part of the County. "It's unfair for Dover and the Tri-Cities to pay the price for our neighbors’ unwillingness to forge a collaborative solution, but it’s time, again, for the Tri-Cities to lead on proactively addressing this issue head on," Warach said. Now he believes the City must focus on implementing the recommendations of the original task force on homelessness, including developing and implementing real plans to build transitional and attainable housing in partnership with externally funded social service organizations. He would like to see a new task force or committee established to lead this effort, and have them work in conjunction with community groups that have stepped up to fill the void recently. Councilor Warach believes that, as a community, we have an obligation to help our fellow Americans struggling with homelessness and doing so with compassion.

Councilor Warach is also a strong advocate for the police department’s new social worker positions, and commits to voting in favor of funding these positions going forward. This program has helped connect people with Substance Use Disorder to recovery services in lieu of incarceration, and is a critical component of helping get people off the streets. Warach would also like to see more community development block grants going to recovery agencies that support this work to increase the availability of recovery services in our community. Further, Warach would like to see syringe disposal receptacles placed in “hot spots” identified by harm reduction organizations who work with people who use drugs to ensure syringes are properly disposed of and kept off our streets and out of our parks.

Another issue Councilor Warach feels strongly about is the City Council continuing to lead the charge on addressing climate change at the local level. “With the implementation of Community Power coming this fall, there will be savings on energy costs that will result in the non-profit New Hampshire Community Power Coalition earning revenue that must be reinvested into the organization. Those reinvestments will be distributed to the local Community Power organizations, and used to fund additional renewable energy projects in the City to further reduce prices. We also need to evaluate municipal dependence on fossil fuels and create a plan to move City-owned properties to renewable energy in a reasonable, but expedient time frame. This investment in the short-term will result in long-term savings for the City," he said. Finally, he believes we need to build and maintain infrastructure through the lens of climate resilience, ensuring that our City is prepared to withstand any extreme weather events that will occur due to changes in the climate.

Councilor Warach is an IT Product Manager by profession, and is delighted to have married his partner of six years this past July. Warach has been active in local and state politics since the 2020 election; he previously served as Treasurer for a local political committee and is currently serving as the organization’s Co-Chair. He also serves as the Strafford County Town-Chair Representative for a state-wide political committee, as well as on the executive board of an LGBTQ+ political committee, advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. He is a member of the board of directors for Community Action Partnership of Strafford County to support its mission of helping those in need. During his first term on the Council, Warach was a fierce advocate for public education funding, making the final motion that ensured the Dover Public Schools were fully funded in the face of drastic cuts to state education funding in 2022. He also successfully introduced and passed a resolution to condemn bigotry and antisemitism after local businesses and minority groups were targeted by hate groups, affirming the City as a welcoming and inclusive community. He was one of the votes in favor of the City entering into several public-private partnerships with property developers that include commitments for the development of over 80 attainable housing units. He also stood up for LGBTQ+ community and communities of color by sponsoring and passing a resolution that prohibits the use of City resources for the purpose of unconstitutionally banning books for ideological reasons. Councilor Warach believes strongly in diversity, equity and inclusion, and is an advocate for building a strong democracy in Dover and New Hampshire as a whole. He believes that building community resilience in all its forms must be done through a lens of equity, ensuring that all voices are represented at the tables where decisions are being made.

To learn more about Councilor Robbie Warach and his platform, visit his website at www.robbiefordover.com, or contact him at robbiefordover@gmail.com or 603-550-6574. He can also be reached on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Instagram at @robbiefordover.