Recent candidate questions from Newport This Week asked us to address complicated issues in very few words. While I understand the need for brevity, I wanted to provide some context behind three of my answers because, together, they speak to a larger question: How do we keep Newport a community where people can afford to live, raise families, work and remain for generations?
When asked what would improve residents’ quality of life, my answer was simple: put residents first. That means attainable housing opportunities, safer streets, better-maintained roads and sidewalks, climate resilience, and finding a healthier balance between a tourism economy that is important to Newport and the needs of the people who live here year-round.
Housing is a major part of that conversation, but I do not believe simply increasing density everywhere is the answer.
We need more middle-income and year-round housing without encouraging overdevelopment or creating additional high-priced units that do little to address the problem. One option worth exploring is allowing appropriate larger homes to be converted into smaller residential units while preserving the exterior and character of our neighborhoods.
We also need better information about our existing housing inventory. How many properties are being used seasonally? How many short-term rentals are operating without being registered? What impact are these uses having on year-round housing availability, individual neighborhoods and infrastructure?
Our newly created Housing Commission can help bring residents, housing professionals and other stakeholders into this conversation. It can examine the data, gather community feedback, and explore solutions beyond simply building more—including whether incentives could encourage property owners to rent year-round to middle-income individuals and families.
Education is equally important to quality of life. I support regular joint meetings between the City Council and School Committee because education and municipal government cannot operate in silos. Decisions involving school funding, facilities, enrollment, long-term planning and municipal finances overlap. Regular communication gives both bodies an opportunity to understand challenges before they become crises and provides the public greater transparency into those discussions. We can’t just keep having these conversations strictly during budget season.
I also answered “yes” when asked whether I am pleased with the plans for Perrotti Park, including the Harbormaster building. But a one-word answer does not fully explain my position. Perrotti Park is an important public gateway to our waterfront. Improving public restrooms, accessibility and facilities while supporting the operational needs of our Harbormaster is an investment in public infrastructure that serves residents and visitors alike.
I support investing in and improving this important public waterfront space, but I also believe the final plans should reflect the character and scale of the surrounding neighborhood. Just as importantly, improvements should preserve and enhance waterfront access for the residents who live near the park and use this area as part of their neighborhood. Public waterfront improvements should serve the broader community while respecting the people most directly affected by them.
These issues may appear unrelated, but to me they are connected.
Housing, education, infrastructure, climate resilience and tourism all influence whether Newport remains a livable community.
As we plan Newport’s future, growth should not simply be measured by how much we can build or how many people we can attract. We should also ask whether the decisions we make improve the everyday lives of the people who already call Newport home.
That is what putting residents first means to me.