NORTH SMITHFIELD – Several of the candidates for North Smithfield Town Council are indicating a desire for a more collaborative and civil approach in town, a fresh reality where things get done for taxpayers and partisan bickering is left behind.
Eight candidates are running in the nonpartisan election on Nov. 3, with five seats available, meaning the lowest three vote-getters will be out.
The race represents an opportunity for newcomers, with Councilor John Beauregard, Council President Kim Alves, and Councilor Claire O’Hara all not running.
Incumbents David Punchak and Rebecca DeCristofaro are running again, and they and six other candidates will seek to come in the top five to earn a seat. Those include Ann Lilley, Paul Jones, Sean Fuller, Michael Plante, Kevin Carriere, and Beth Newberry.
Candidates were asked five questions this week. Four of eight candidates responded, and any additional responses will be added to this story as they come in.
The eight were asked why they’re running, who else they would like to see win a seat, what are the biggest issues facing the town, what creative idea they would like to see the town implement, and how they will contribute to civil discourse. Their responses are included in their entirety.
Note: This story is focusing on candidates’ ideas for their community, rather than on hot-button partisan issues.
Newberry said she has served the last two years on the Groundwater Protection Committee and Charter Review Committee. Town government, she said, should be accessible to the community and driven by resident input.
She said she and her running mates, Lilley and DeCristofaro, believe that local government should be bottom-up. She and Lilley have been taking a Stanford workshop on human-centered design specifically for government, she said, and she believes using this approach is an innovative way to start looking at problem-solving in the community to engage residents more effectively, and to have civil and productive discourse.
One of the things she said she would like to focus on as a councilor is strengthening how boards and committees work with the council and administration, she said, adding that she wants to partner with the administration to establish actionable goals, strategies, and timelines.
“Protecting our quality of life by prioritizing the environment is very important to me,” she said.
Jones said he’s running because he cares about the community and thinks he can do some good.
“Over the past two years, I grew increasingly concerned about issues developing in our community and the lack of action taken to address them,” he said. “I believe the time is now for proactive, decisive governance which focuses on improving the quality of life for all residents in North Smithfield.”
The needs of North Smithfield are too great to worry about any petty or partisan squabbling after the election is decided, he said, so with that in mind, he said, he will look forward to working with any of the candidates who make it through.
As a senior service professional, said Jones, he is disheartened that North Smithfield is one of the only communities in the state without a dedicated senior center. More than 30 percent of the town’s population is over the age of 65, he said, “and we are failing them. The senior services we currently have at Scouters Hall are a good start, but a true Senior Center program includes support for people trying to understand the differences between Medicare and Medicaid, or how to avoid falling for scams. For some seniors, it might mean a meal program or transportation support, and for others it might be the place which saves them from complete isolation. We spent eight years debating the location for the Multigenerational Center, finally abandoning plans for Halliwell in favor of Scouters Hall. OK, but as we move forward with that we must ensure we build and support a program that helps the seniors of today, tomorrow, and years from now.”
As chairperson of the Economic Development Commission, he said he has wrestled with questions of building business in town. It is important to him and neighbors that the town retains and protects its rural character, he said.
“I believe we can do that while also empowering entrepreneurs who recognize this community is a terrific place to work and live,” he said. “To that end, I’ve worked with the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce and want to partner with them to develop the North Smithfield Business Excellence Program. This partnership would provide training and guidance for budding small business owners who want to open a business in town, including home-based businesses with an agricultural focus. North Smithfield has open storefronts, and we should encourage businesses to set up shop in them rather than focusing all our emphasis on new development. Furthermore, embracing a business excellence program can help give us more options in town than another gas station or storage unit. Finally, bringing more business into town can help share the tax burden more evenly, with the hope that we can keep our taxes stable as our businesses grow and thrive.”
He said he has heard from many residents that they feel disconnected from local government and are unsure which projects are currently active or on hold.
“This fosters a feeling that our community is stagnant, and I want to change that,” he said. “An interesting way we can try this is by reframing our municipal website as a ‘Digital Town Hall,’ which can store videos and summaries of our different community meetings along with real-time tracking of important community projects.”
For inspiration, he said he searched municipal websites across the country and landed on the Engage section of the Fort Wayne, Indiana website. That page lays out different local projects as they unfold in real time, including updates, timelines, contact information for involved municipal officials, and ways residents can get involved.
“North Smithfield is very light on ‘official’ channels of communication, so giving residents a better method of staying connected with their local government is important,” he said.
On how he will contribute to civil discourse, he said that through his years of public service on the School Committee, Fire & Rescue Board, and Economic Development Commission, he has learned a fundamental truth, that good governance isn’t about scoring political points or grandstanding. It requires active listening and a genuine willingness to work together to solve real problems.
“Our political discourse has been marred by so much shouting over the past several years that it’s been impossible to really hear each other,” he said. “If I’m elected to the council, my goal will be to be deliberate and intentional with policy, and lead every conversation with one guiding light in mind: “How does this help North Smithfield?”
Fuller said he grew up in North Smithfield, graduated from North Smithfield High School in 2004, and has lived here most of his adult life. He and his wife made their home here, and he said he can’t picture living anywhere else.
Fuller is the general manager at a precision manufacturing facility in Greenville, where he handles scheduling, customers, and making sure the work goes out right and on time.
“Taxes are the biggest issue facing our town,” he said. “People are feeling squeezed, so I’ll keep a close eye on spending and push back on increases that don’t make sense.”
Protecting our environment is right up there with it, he added.
“Our water, woods, and open space are what make this town special, and once they’re gone, we don’t get them back,” he said. “Every development proposal should be weighed against what it does to our land, roads, and water before we approve it, not after.”
He said he also wants to make sure the town’s schools, police, fire, and rescue have what they need.
“I want to make it easier for small businesses to get permits and get going, and do a better job explaining what the council is doing and why. If you call or email me, you’ll hear back,” he said.
Carriere said he’s running because the town is his home.
“As I look to the future and think about the family I want to raise, I want to be part of ensuring that the town I raise that family in is a town I can continue to be proud of,” he said.
He said he would be happy to work with anyone who is willing to keep an open mind, but also willing to fight for North Smithfield residents.
“We need a council that is willing to reclaim the power bestowed (on) it, and anyone who has interest in being the checks and balances of our local government is someone I am excited to work with,” he said.
Transparency and accountability are two of the biggest issues in the town, said Carriere.
“When residents don’t fully understand why things are being done, or believe that things are not being completed when and as they should, distrust and resentment grow,” he said. “My previous work in the U.S. Congress has taught me how the Town Council can be that checks and balances of ensuring we understand where these deficiencies are and be able to provide the resources and encouragement to our hard-working public servants to achieve the tasks that the town expects of them, and help reduce barriers for residents to find and understand how to utilize their local government,” he said.
Carriere said he’s talked about many ideas on his campaign page and website, but one that is dear to him is to have a very small “Welcome to Town” booklet for individuals who purchase property in North Smithfield.
“It could have a signed form letter from the town administrator, information about schools and trash pickups, contact information for the departments, and even collaborate with local businesses for advertising space and coupons,” he said. “It would signal our small-town energy while also supporting local business.”
Freedom of speech means that the government can’t control what the public says, said Carriere, “and that includes not breeding such a toxic, vitriolic space that people are scared to speak up.”
Open forum is a sacred space for residents, not councilors, to raise their concerns about town, and it is not a place for Town Council to argue back, he added.
“I would support formalizing the process of open forum to hearing public comments, restricting council to only ask clarification questions, and then closing open forum by summarizing the comments heard and directing administration and council on any concerns that were raised,” he said.
“Furthermore, we should be holding Town Council to higher standards, to be leaders, and so I would look for ways to strengthen the code of conduct of the Town Council.”
