Heather Robitaille
Overview
Fidelity Investments (10 years); Chair of the Merrimack School District Budget Committee
BS Microbiology, University of NH
45 Springfield Cir
Merrimack, NH
United States
History
Position on Issues
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Do you support the “Education Freedom Account” program, which gives students access to the per-pupil share of state school funding to spend on private school or home school expenses?
"I do not support the Edcuation Freedom Account (EFA) program. I support families providing the educational environment that works best for their child, however, public tax dollars belong in public schools. EFAs were orginally pitched in 2021 as a solution for "lower income families" who couldn't afford private school. However, the income restrictions for qualification have been completely eliminated (SB295). In 2025, the EFA program cost $51.6mil and was $12.3 mil overbudget. Additionally, the private schools receiving these funds are not required to serve all students, meaning they can discriminate against students with disabilities that need additional services or students that do not meet their religious criteria such as members of the LGBTQ community. During a hearing at the State House to remove income limits from EFA availability, I heard a woman testify in support of the effort because it allowed her daughter to take gymnastics lessons. When senior citizens are being forced out of their homes due to skyrocketing property taxes, I believe it is fiscally irresponsible to be sending millions of dollars to even NH's wealthiest families for private use."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire’s anti-discrimination law allow segregation based on biological sex in some settings, such as bathrooms and locker rooms?
"Against"Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the first trimester (e.g. after 6 weeks gestation)?
"I believe in the sanctity of life and that decisions about abortion care should remain between a woman and her doctor. Legislative bans cannot account for the complex medical, emotional, and personal circumstances involved and can jeopardize women's health and lives by delaying necessary medical care."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the second trimester (e.g. after 15 weeks gestation)?
"I believe in the sanctity of life and that decisions about abortion care should remain between a woman and her doctor. Legislative bans cannot account for the complex medical, emotional, and personal circumstances involved and can jeopardize women's health and lives by delaying necessary medical care."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should NH add an income tax on earned income?
"I am against an income tax on earned income in NH. I believe we can reduce the property tax burden on homeowners by ensuring the state has a varied stream of revenues to fund essential services. The state has done successfully in the past without an income tax, so I don't believe that is necessary to address the state's budgeting issues and reduce the burden on NH homeowners."Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire lower business taxes?
"I support reducing the legislative burden placed on NH's small businesses and believe we should work to alleviate the tax strain on small business owners. However, I do not support measures like HB155 (2026), which cut the business enterprise tax because there is no statistical relationship between business profit tax and job growth. HB155 will reduce state revenue by more than $26 million annually, forcing harmful cuts to essential services and public schools without providing a significant benefit in areas such as job growth."For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should the state do more to encourage municipalities to remove zoning barriers to housing development?
"New Hampshire's housing shortage requires practical solutions that expand affordable housing while respecting local community concerns, municipal resources, and environmental protections. I support initiatives like the voluntary Housing Champions Program, which was unfortunately repealed in 2026."Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire do more to encourage the development of nuclear power, including small modular reactors (SMR), in the state?
"NH needs to become more energy independent and expand its use of clean energy solutions while reducing energy costs. I need to learn more about the safety regulations and procedures to handle waste from nuclear facilities before supporting further development of nuclear power."For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Do you support legislation to expand the net energy metering system capacity cap from 1 MW to 5 MW for all residential and commercial customers in New Hampshire?
"Net metering helps New Hampshire to become more energy independent, which helps reduce energy costs for all Granite Staters."For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire restore funding for the Office of the Child Advocate?
"I support adequately funding this office to ensure effective oversight and safeguard the well-being of our children."For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks?
"I believe in the sanctity of life and that decisions about abortion care should remain between a woman and her doctor. Legislative bans cannot account for the complex medical, emotional, and personal circumstances involved and can jeopardize women's health and lives by delaying necessary medical care."For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire reinstate the interest and dividends tax?
"I support reinstating the Interest and Dividends Tax because it provides additional state revenue without unduly burdening our hardworking families and senior citizens. I&D Tax raised over $184 million, while also providing exemptions for senior citizens and disabled individuals. Reinstating the I&D tax would provide valuable revenue which could help fund NH's Public Schools and essential services, thus lowering the amount of property taxes required from homeowners."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Do you support New Hampshire’s current system of public school funding, with about two-thirds of total funding coming from local property taxes?
"I am strongly against NH's current system of public school funding. The NH Supreme Court has made 3 rulings that this system is unconstitutional. I believe the state needs to be providing more funding towards public schools so the burden isn't placed on homeowners through property taxes. By reducing the amount of money given to the EFA program, and increasing revenue from areas such as the business enterprise tax, there would be millions of dollars more annually to give to public schools."No Response
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by allowing home-growing and private use without sales?
No Response
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by licensing growers and private retail locations?
No Response
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by establishing state-run cannabis stores?
No Response
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire require new voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, when registering to vote?
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire allow at least 10% of students in each school district to enroll in a different public school, regardless of where they live?
"I am against manditory open enrollment because it does not solve or address the issue of inadequate state funding of public education and makes it incredibly difficult for school districts to plan or budget for their school year as changes in enrollment can have a significant impact on school budgets. Additionally, since transportation is not provided, not all students and families will be able to participate in open enrollment due to limitation to transportation options. This measure increases the disparity between districts and leaves out students who are typically in our most vulnerable populations."For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire repeal the ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation?
"I believe in the sanctity of life and that decisions about abortion care should remain between a woman and her doctor. Legislative bans cannot account for the complex medical, emotional, and personal circumstances involved and can jeopardize women's health and lives by delaying necessary medical care."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should state law cap how much local school districts can increase their budget each year?
"I support measures to decrease the burden of public school funding on property tax payers. However, I do not believe that a tax cap mandate solves that problem. The portion of funding from the state of NH has been decreasing and is 50th in the country. This forces towns to raise additional revenue and their only true option to do so is through property taxes. I believe that the state of NH needs to address how it funds public education instead of arguing with the NH Supreme Court. I belive we need to have a variety of revenue sources to increase the state's portion of public education and special education funding in order to reduce the property tax burden. A tax cap mandate will not address the issue of rising property taxes. Instead, it will limit districts, forcing them to cut extra curricular activities and any 'nonessential' cirricula which will have a significantly negative impact on the future of NH's children. Towns in NH already have a process in place that allows them to impose a tax cap if they choose. Measures like HB1300, which Governor Ayotte signed into law, attempt to circumvent the current process instead of addressing the root cause of the issue, which is the state not paying an adequate amount to public education in NH."Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?
"I support responsible gun ownership when owners are not a threat to themselves or others. I also believe we need to study the factors contributing to the frequency of mass shootings and enact commonsense legislation to mitigate those factors. Our children should not have to be afraid of active shooters in their schools."
