Joyce Craig’s Real Record As Mayor of Manchester:
- Craig enabled an out-of-control homelessness crisis in the Queen City, allowing homeless encampments to grow unchecked on the streets of downtown Manchester, dubbed “Craigville” by her critics.
- In July of 2021, five homeless people died on the streets of Manchester.
- In December 2022, a baby was hospitalized after being born on the streets in ‘frigid conditions’.
- The Union Leader called the encampments “symbolic of the abject failure of [Craig’s] leadership.”
- Rather than take responsibility and address the encampments, Craig blamed the state of New Hampshire and Governor Sununu for her failure.
- Governor Sununu’s office called out Craig for using $2 million in federal funding to “rebrand” the city of Manchester rather than addressing the homelessness issue.
- Relative to New Hampshire, Manchester had a crime rate higher than 98% of the state’s cities and towns of all sizes.
- Craig’s 2019 budget proposed a 1.63% tax increase.
- Craig’s 2020 budget proposed a 2.03% tax increase.
- In 2020, Craig’s tax increase on Manchester residents was nearly triple the projected amount.
- The Union Leader reported that “in the three budgets presented since Joyce Craig took office, taxes have increased by more than 5.7%.”
- Craig’s proposed fiscal year 2021 budget raised property taxes.