HENNIKER - While he may not be an official Republican primary candidate for president, former New York Gov. George Pataki said Tuesday he will decide one way or another within the next month.

"I'm not running now, " Pataki said in Henniker, "but we'll see what happens over the course of the next month."

The governor spoke at New England College Tuesday as part of the college's ECON-101 Town Hall meeting series, where political leaders discuss their economic plan for America.

Pataki lambasted President Barack Obama saying he has the "worst fiscal record in the history of the country."

Obama, Pataki said, is failing to address the nation's debt in any serious way. He pointed to existing plans, such as the one that Obama's bipartisan committee came up with, as ways to cut spending and reduce the deficit.

Pataki contrasted the administration's economic failings to his own record of success. As governor of New York, Pataki said, he inherited a $5 billion deficit and created a surplus.

Pataki, who started out as the Mayor of Peekskill, went on to 10 years of service in the New York State Legislature. In 1994 he defeated Democratic strongman Mario Cuomo to become governor. He served until 2007.

During his time as Governor, Pataki created one of the first State Homeland Security Offices and initiated the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

For the last year Pataki has chaired the Revere America organization, a nonprofit seeking to repeal the health care reform law. He also chairs No American Debt, a group focused on raising public awareness of the nation's $14.3 trillion debt. Tuesdays visit to the Granite State was a part of that effort, he said. The group aims to restore fiscal sanity and hold president Obama accountable, Pataki said.

The ECON-101 Town Hall meeting is sponsored by the Center for Civic Engagement at New England College.