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Dave Copeland
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Dave Copeland
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ANDOVER, MA — Republican Chris Shepley called for expanding natural gas use and exempting businesses near New Hampshire from the state sales tax, while Democrat Connor Murray pushed renewable energy and more state investment during a candidate forum Tuesday.
The candidates seeking to succeed Tram Nguyen as state representative for the 18th Essex District offered different approaches to lowering costs but agreed on several measures, including temporarily suspending the gasoline tax, auditing the Legislature and overhauling state school funding.
Andover News and the Andover Chamber of Commerce co-sponsored the forum at Memorial Hall Library. Broadcast on Andover TV, it was the candidates’ only scheduled meeting before the Nov. 3 election.
On energy, Shepley supported expanding natural gas use and said he would consider eliminating Mass Save, the state’s energy-efficiency program. Murray advocated expanding renewable energy, arguing that importing fossil fuels adds to residents’ costs.
“Clean energy is cheapest energy we can generate in Massachusetts,” Murray said.
The candidates also differed on permanent tax changes. Murray said he would not seek to eliminate any current taxes. Shepley argued that Massachusetts’ sales tax puts local businesses at a disadvantage against competitors in New Hampshire, which has no general sales tax. He supported an initiative to eliminate the sales tax for Massachusetts businesses within 10 miles of the border.
Both, however, supported temporarily suspending the state’s 24-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax. Murray cautioned that the tax pays for roads and other infrastructure.
Shepley criticized Tuesday’s news that the House Ways and Means Committee had rejected Gov. Maura Healey’s proposed suspension.
“It’s a great example of how out of touch our state legislature is,” he said. “We won’t even have an opportunity to see our representatives vote on this issue.”
Throughout the forum, Shepley emphasized local control, while Murray advocated securing more state resources for the district.
Murray said he would work to double the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s budget so communities such as Andover would not get shut out of the funding process. Both candidates supported overhauling Chapter 70, the formula used to distribute state aid to public school districts.
They also agreed on a legislative audit and supported Question 1, which would subject the Legislature and governor’s office to the open meeting and public records laws.
Despite that agreement on government accountability, Shepley sought to distinguish himself as an independent voice on Beacon Hill. Asked about the advantages and drawbacks of being a younger legislator, he portrayed Murray, 23, as beholden to Democratic Party leadership.
Shepley, 20, argued that membership in the smaller Republican caucus would give him a better chance of securing a committee assignment as a freshman lawmaker.
“As a member of a minority caucus I don’t owe the speaker anything,” Shepley said. “I don’t owe the leadership anything, and I don’t owe the Republican leadership anything, either.”
The 18th Essex District includes portions of Andover, North Andover, Boxford and Tewksbury. Nguyen did not seek reelection, instead running for Congress earlier this year.
About 35 people attended the forum, which included questions submitted by Andover News readers, local officials and the public, along with questions from the live audience.
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