South Kingstown has many things going for it. In fact, it would be my first priority to maintain the recent cordial level of Town Council discussions. It is essential for everyone to have a chance to be heard.

Having said that, I will not shy away from the tough decisions. As an example, I commit to appointing the best candidates possible to vacancies on the planning board, school committee, and other boards and commissions. As a lifelong unaffiliated voter, I am proud to consider myself an independent thinker…without the loyalty challenges that come from being a member of one of the two parties. Appointments should be decided based on passion, temperament, knowledge, and vision – not on political party affiliation.

I also am committed to making South Kingstown a town that is affordable, to live and work. Our property taxes are ranked by the Tax Foundation as one of the top 4% in the country. Yes, we need to fully fund necessary services, but we need to spend the time to understand the associated costs. If we took the same time to shop and compare for government services that we do for a television set, we will find ways of making South Kingstown home ownership more affordable.

On the business front, we need to make sure that businesses also get a fair shake. We should have a predictable path for the planning process and building inspections.  The town should should be reasonable when applying any special project conditions. Government should consider itself a service provider rather than regulation police. Customer service needs to be part of the fabric of how South Kingstown does business. It is not about bad people, it is about bad processes. The town needs to find ways to partner with existing businesses instead of building obstacles or competing with local tax-paying merchants. Cooperation of this kind will ultimately be in the best interests of the town. 

Also, I see lots of potential with our community partners like South County Hospital and the University of Rhode Island.  If you have thoughts or specific suggestions on improving South Kingstown, please email me at getlibertyinRI@gmail.com. Together we can preserve the essence of South Kingstown, while, at the same time improving the responsiveness of our town government.