On Election Day, Henry Heck launches early bid to become Rutland City’s next mayor

When Rutland City voters arrived at the polls to cast their ballots on Tuesday, many were greeted by Henry Heck, a current city councilman and former city clerk, with signs advertising his mayoral campaign.

Although petitions to run for mayor don’t have to be submitted until January, Heck said he decided to launch his campaign on presidential election day to spark “some excitement” and encourage more voters to come to the polls in March for local elections. vote.

Heck, who has a public service career spanning nearly 17 years in Rutland City, thinks he has a sporting chance against current mayor Mike Doenges, who was first elected to office in 2023.

“Working so closely with both administrations and all these department heads has given me a really broad sense of how the government works (and) how the city works,” Heck said. “I definitely think you’ve got a step up in that capacity because I’ve been around for so long.”

The two men are not strangers. doenges refused reappointment When the new mayor takes office, Heck be damned for the city clerk position he has held for the past 14 years.

Heck considers their attitudes regarding financial concerns to be the main differences between him and Doenges. He said he is taking issue with the city budget recently presented by the current mayor, with a potential increase of just under 6 percent, and hopes to use his knowledge as a former city clerk to uncover unnecessary costs that are burdening Rutland residents.

“Taxpayers can’t afford those kinds of increases on an annual basis, so sometimes you have to make tough decisions. You have to decide whether you can do a project,” Heck said. “I will leave no stone unturned when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars and making sure everything we invest in benefits citizens.”

In response, Doenges said he presented a budget with recommendations to reduce spending to give the city council board a say in setting priorities. The board can reject sections but cannot add ideas to the mayor’s proposal.

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“I think what’s different about this is that historically the mayor has presented a budget that’s exactly what he thinks the city needs, and what I’ve done over the last two years is I’ve presented a budget that I believe is the best path for the city, but the board has to make choices.” There is,” Doenges said.

By working with the board to determine the city’s funding priorities, Doenges said he is hopeful the budget increase will be reduced to the 4 percent target by the time the budget is approved in mid-December.

Heck said his ability to connect with people and bring players to the table will be valuable as mayor.

“I really enjoy people and love helping them, and that’s something I take pride in,” Heck said. “I’ve actually been in the service business my whole life, and when it comes to tax appeals (and) tax abatements, that’s something I naturally transition to, even in the clerk’s office.”

While Doenges plans to make an official announcement in late November, he has confirmed that he will seek a second term. He said talking to voters has been part of his duties as mayor for the past 18 months.

“I spend more time in my office talking to the citizens of Rutland than I do with anyone else… I love that aspect of the job,” Doenges said. “I hear all of this feedback regularly, and it’s part of what helps us make informed decisions.”

Doenges said the most common concern he hears from Rutland residents is the cost of living, adding that he is trying to achieve housing and economic development goals without increasing the cost to taxpayers. He argues that Rutland is “moving in the right direction.”

“We’ve seen growth, we’ve seen investment in the city, and it’s been absolutely amazing,” Doenges said. “It takes time to make sure these (goals) are on track.”

Heck, however, said he is running for mayor because he believes the Rutland community is ready for a change in leadership.

“I don’t know if I’m that guy or not,” Heck said. “But based on what I’ve been through and my experiences, I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to go out and debate and see where the voters are.”

VTDigger reporter Emma Cotton contributed to this story.