Three Democrats will face off next week to be the party’s nominee for the position of Grafton County Treasurer.

The candidates — Michael J. Cryans, of Hanover, Jason Neenos, of Plymouth, N.H., and state Rep. Corinne Morse, of Canaan — are seeking to replace Lebanon Democrat Karen Liot Hill, who is running for Executive Council.

She’s held the office since 2016.

Brian Dear, of Lyman, N.H., is running unopposed in the Republican primary for county treasurer. He will face off against the winner of the Sept. 10 primary in November.

Responsibilities of the treasurer includes keeping an accurate record of money received and disbursed for the county, maintaining financial records and investing the surplus funds of the county appropriately.

The part-time position pays about $12,500 per year.

The Valley News spoke with Cryans, Neenos and Morse about their experiences in public office and motivation for running for county treasurer.

Michael J. Cryans

Cryans, 73, is a former banker who has lived in Hanover for 40 years. Cryans has extensive experience in public office. He served as county commissioner for 19 years, and was a member of the Executive Council from 2019-2020.

Cryans said he enjoys finance and if elected, he plans to “use some of these skills (gained in prior experience).”

Voters need to feel that their treasurer is “honest and trustworthy and you’ll do a good job,” he said. “The best thing you can do is get a good return on the investment.”

He is running for the position because he wants to give back to the community, he said.

“I loved county government when I was there because it’s the only form of government where you can make a decision and … see the people you’ve impacted immediately,” Cryans said. “I think coming back and (serving in an) obviously a different role as treasurer would be much different than being a county commissioner. But at this point in my life, I think I would really enjoy it.”

Corinne Morse

Morse, 37, is a stay-at-home mother of two children, ages 8 and 10. Morse is originally from Spokane, Wash., and has lived in Canaan for six years.

She was elected as a state representative for Grafton District 9 in 2022.

In Canaan, Morse serves on the Planning Board and the Economic Development Committee. She also is the treasurer for the Canaan Democrats, and is a member of the Budget Committee for the Mascoma Valley Regional School District.

She said she opted not to run again for her position in the House because she realized through her work with the Grafton County Executive Committee that she “loved county government more than state government.”

In addition, she has a son with special needs starting middle school.

“I wanted to make sure my time commitment would work for my family life as well as the position I’m running for,” she said.

As a mom, Morse said she is a “kind of household manager” which “gives me a sort of separate perspective on how important it is to be able to balance budgets.”

Jason Neenos

Neenos, 39, is an instructional designer and adjunct professor at Plymouth State University. He is originally from Phoenix and moved to Plymouth with his three children and wife five years ago.

Neenos has never held public office, but would like to use his experience engaging with the community as a former social studies teacher.

“I’ve been a public servant in some capacity for a number of years now, and I think that’s one of the things that sets me apart (from the other candidates) is the civic drive to serve those in the county,” Neenos said in an interview.

The role of treasurer is often overlooked, Neenos said. “The county treasurer is important because it keeps track of where the county’s money is and what we are funding. Where are we storing our money? How can we get better returns on our money so we can have more programs for our county?”

If elected, Neenos said he would be interested in diversifying where the county’s money is stored in order to improve returns.

Ulla-Britt Libre can be reached at ulla-britt.p.libre.25@dartmouth.edu.