Questions to Candidates Yielded Surprise Responses

By Newport This Week Staff
on September 12, 2024

By Kelsie Crough

At the Middletown Town Council candidate forum on Sept. 9 each expressed their goals in 90-second opening and closing statements, through a series of questions, and in a lightening round. Erin Donovan Boyle, CEO and president of the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, served as moderator of the forum.

“We had a spirited discussion on the issues impacting Middletown residents and it was a great opportunity to hear candidate priorities and their varying approaches to solve these issues,” said Donovan Boyle.

A question from the audience about regionalization brought surprising unified responses. Regionalizing the Newport and Middletown school districts has been a hot topic between the towns for years, eventually making it onto the ballot in 2022. But it was rejected by Newport. With new high schools on the horizon for both communities, the audience was eager to know how the candidates felt about the future of their schools, posing the question, “Is school regionalization really dead? Why?”

In response, incumbents Paul Rodrigues and Barbara VonVillas said that regionalization would greatly benefit both communities, but action must be taken swiftly.

Rodrigues said that there is a “strong possibility” that regionalization could still happen. He said the biggest piece missing when it was on the ballot in 2022 was the educational opportunities and the financial aspect.

“People are going to vote with their wallets,” he said.

“I’ve been an administrator in . . . three regional districts in three different states and I can tell you that there’s probably nothing that I support more than regionalization,” added VonVillas.

Challenger Antoine Viveiros was in support of regionalization, saying it would provide more secure funding for schools and an opportunity to pull together “the best curriculum in the country.”

Incumbent Dennis Turano emphasized the island’s need for a “blue wave,” and incumbent Christopher Logan said rejecting regionalization was a “lost opportunity” to address that need.

“This should be on the ballot,” said Logan.

Incumbents Peter Connerton and Thomas Welch, as well as challengers Leonidas Amarant and Lawrence Frank, echoed this sentiment.

“I think regionalization is a good thing, necessary, and the town should pursue it vigorously,” Frank said.

Most of the incumbents focused on their dedication to Middletown over the years in their opening and closing statements.

“I’ve never had a personal agenda,” Rodrigues said. “I just to try and make Middletown a better place.”

Connerton referenced his work volunteering on several committees, including the School Building Committee, the Beach Commission, the Pension and Investment Committee, and chairing the Short-Term Rental Committee. He said that he hoped his actions demonstrated to the voters his commitment to serving the town.

“One of the basic things I said when I ran the first time is I want to leave Middletown a little bit better than I found it,” he said.

Welch said the council has “had some great opportunities come our way in the last two years especially, and I’ve been thankful to be a part of those decisions, and that’s why I’d like to give it a run for two more years.”

Viveiros focused on engaging with the community and meeting its needs.

“My aim is to give you, the people, an ethical government and the biggest say in that government,” he said.

Logan emphasized the need for the municipal government to continue to serve and be responsive to the needs of residents.

“[The community] have both an individual and collective awareness that they can, as part of this community, influence their environments and each other,” he said. “I’m asking for your continued support to be the leader that Middletown needs, a servant leader that listens in response to the community.”

VonVillas emphasized the need for councilors and residents to approach issues with the bigger picture in mind.

“We need to apply the big picture perspective to every issue,” she said. “Middletown’s well-being should be a priority. We need to come together as a community and choose what is best for the whole town.”

Turano focused on affordability for families and small businesses in Middletown. He said the primary reason he is running for council is to keep Middletown affordable, particularly with tax reform.

“I think that’s what you really should look at . . . what people say they’re going to do and what they actually do,” he said.

Amarant cited his experience coming from a family of immigrants and business owners to urge a more open conversation about supporting small businesses.

“Small business is the backbone of our community. I think they’ve been ignored a lot,” he said. “I think we’re talking about these big businesses, big issues, big developments, but we’re ignoring the small businesses.”

Frank’s statements and responses were tied into his concern for housing.

“Housing is integral to every part of this community,” he said. “With the right approach, cooperative approach . . . we can begin to solve these problems, and we will.”

Charles Roberts, who did not attend, said in a statement that the top priorities of his campaign are housing, transparency, tax reform, safety and schools.

“I want to make sure all feel welcome to participate in town government and that transparency is the norm, not a request,” he said.

Bryan Hoffman, who also did not attend, expressed a focus on schools and tax reform.

“Together, we can build a better, stronger Middletown,” he said in a statement.

In the lightening round, in which candidates raised their hands in support or opposition of a statement:

– Amarant, Connerton, Frank, Logan, Rodrigues, Turano, Viveiros and VonVillas supported the current non-partisan local elections. Welch and Frank was in favor of reinstating the previous partisan system.

– All candidates supported the return to the pre-COVID policy for residents to receive two beach parking passes for the price of one.

– Viveiros, VonVillas, Logan, Frank, Turano, and Connerton supported the homestead provision for property taxes, which has been done in Newport and proven to save homeowners a significant amount of money.

– All candidates supported establishing a stronger alliance with CCRI Newport to collaborate on a career, technical and educational workforce development program for island residents.

“I learned so much about Middletown by listening to the candidates at the Middletown forum,” said Christine Stenning, president of the League of Women Voters of Newport County. “I was impressed by the thoughtfulness of the candidates in answering the questions and the common courtesy that they afforded each other. They actually offered compliments to each other on some of their answers. A breath of fresh air in these political times.”