Meet the candidates for Portsmouth Town Council
In advance of the 2022 General Election, The Newport Daily News reached out to candidates running in contested races via emails filed with the Board of Elections to learn more about their candidacy.
All candidates were asked the same questions with a 450-word limit per question and provided two weeks to respond. Responses can be seen below without editing to ensure voters are reading the candidates' own words.
Daniela Abbott
Position running for: Portsmouth Town Council
Current office held (if any): Portsmouth Town Council
Occupation: Engineer & Project Manager
What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?
My personal and professional background bring a different and valuable perspective to the council. I’ve lived in Portsmouth for 12 years and chose to raise my two children here. I am committed to strengthening the quality of life of children and families within our community.
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing Portsmouth and how would you approach improving the situation?
Our biggest issue is how to plan for and maintain the level of municipal services our residents expect amid increasing costs, labor shortages, pandemics, natural disasters, and other major disruptions. My approach is to have a good understanding of what are our community’s needs, plan for how to address them in a way that provides the greatest cost-benefit, and then follow through on the execution of those plans. We need to continue to work hard on developing strategies for how to tackle major projects and make sure we consider the needs of everyone in our community.
Kevin Aguiar
Position running for: Town Council
Current office held (if any): Town Council
Occupation: Civil Engineer
What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?
This is a great question and honestly, I would not necessarily consider myself to be the “best” candidate for Town Council, but I do consider myself well suited for the Town Council.
Portsmouth has been my home for nearly 48 years. I live in the same neighborhood I grew up in with my parents nearby in the house I grew up in. My wife and I have raised our children here and they have attended the same schools I did from Hathaway Elementary to Portsmouth Middle School to Portsmouth High School, where our youngest is a Junior. Portsmouth is a great place to live, and I care about what happens here.
I appreciate the opportunities the Town of Portsmouth has provided for my family and I. I served nearly 15 years on the Portsmouth Zoning Board of Review until 2014. Later that year I was elected to my first term on the Town Council, and I am currently completing my eighth year. It has been an honor to help grow the town, provide financial responsibility, support our schools, improve our infrastructure, and improve the quality of life for all citizens.
I feel that my prior experience on both the Town Council and the Zoning Board have helped me understand local and economic issues. If elected, I will continue to be involved with the community and make thoughtful decisions that are in the best interest of the Town of Portsmouth.
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing Portsmouth and how would you approach improving the situation?
In my opinion, the biggest issue facing Portsmouth is our municipal budget. The challenge is how to keep Portsmouth affordable for all citizens, while improving our quality of life and providing the municipal and community support services that are essential to our everyday lives.
My approach to improving the situation is to work with the Town Council and the Town Administrator to continue to provide fiscally responsible budgets and establish policies that benefit the citizens of Portsmouth. The budget process takes several months to develop prior to being presented to the Town Council in early April. In my opinion, this process has consistently improved over the years and as Town Councilors we must continually look for opportunities to improve the process and control expenses. For example, the Town has recently entered into new 5-year contracts with the Police and Fire Departments. These 5-year contracts replaced the previous 3-year contracts and provide two additional years of cost certainty for budget purposes.
I will continue to support our school system. I believe a high-performing school system is critical to maintaining and attracting new families to our community. We need to provide the resources and opportunities for children in our schools to achieve their potential.
Finally, I will continue to find ways within the budget to support our municipal infrastructure program because it is important to have safe roads and address road flooding within some areas of the Town.
My goal is to make Portsmouth the most desired community in the area to live in. A community that is affordable for families, has a top tier school system, and provides the municipal services that are essential to our everyday lives.
Michael DiPaola
Did not submit.
David M. Gleason
Position running for: Portsmouth Town Council
Current office held (if any): N/A
Occupation: Retired
What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?
I believe that I am a strong candidate for the Town Council for various and many reasons, starting with experience, having previously served 6 terms, from 2012 to 2018. During that time, as an Independent, I worked successfully with Democrats and Republicans on a myriad of issues, including hiring a new Town Administrator, building a Police Station, renovating the Brown House, repairing a broken wind turbine, and starting a Rec Dept., to name a few. I have been through the budget process 6 times and brought many concerns of mine and those of constituents, before the Council for Discussion and Action.
Although I grew up in Middletown, I have lived in Portsmouth for over 40 years with no intention of leaving anytime soon. In 2004, while my wife Karen was serving on the School Committee, I too wanted to give back to my community, so I volunteered for my first Town Committee. Still near and dear to me, I served on the Lower Glen Farm Preservation Committee, including serving as Chair. I volunteered on committees involved with the Glen Manor House, Recycling, Wastewater Management, Town Charter Review, the Harbor Commission and Mooring Appeals committees. These all provided experience and insight into how the Town operates and how to bring about positive change and commitment.
Regarding commitment, another strong virtue I believe in, after losing my Council seat in 2018, I volunteered for the Harbor Commission and Glen Manor House Authority committees. I worked hard behind the scenes to keep our long awaited Harbor Management plan moving forward after finding that it was gathering dust on a desk at CRMC or due to a change in staff at the Army Corps of Engineers. In 2019, I submitted applications to Roger Williams University’s Community Partnership Center to get assistance from students studying law to help with legal research on various Rights of Ways to the shores of Portsmouth. Both projects, I am happy to say, were completed.
Am I the best candidate, maybe? However, I am a strong, experienced candidate ready to start on November 9th.
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing Portsmouth and how would you approach improving the situation?
The biggest issue facing Portsmouth, in my mind, is keeping the town we all love, affordable by way of controlled spending with tax increases kept to a minimum for current and future generations of its residents. Portsmouth, once a rural, farming community of the past is essentially a bedroom community for many driving out of town to support themselves. Families, like mine in the same house for 40 years, worry that their own children cannot find and afford a property in town and that was even before the real estate boom.
Wealthy out-of-towners have made it difficult for young families trying to stay in town and enjoy our popular school system, waterfront parks, beaches, open space and local restaurants. Those residents, committed to staying in Portsmouth, will continue to see tax increases that may hardly phase urban out-of-staters that purchase their vacation and/or Airbnb property in town. Taxes will always go up, but they need to rise as little as possible while still maintaining our current standard of living.
Like all communities, the town has Police, Fire, DPW, Teacher and Municipal employee contracts with yearly increases to pay for. We all appreciate our town employees and their many contributions. We have roads and buildings, including senior housing and a library, to maintain. We have many obligations to consider before we get to any discretionary spending. Our tax base is primarily from residential taxes with a less percentage of tax money, in comparison, generated from business or industry.
The tax base supported primarily by a residential tax base is not a new problem, so how would I approach improving the situation? Perhaps a start would be to increase the commercial and industrial tax base. When I think of increasing the industrial tax base, I think of the marine industry, which is already established in Portsmouth. The Melville area and the four or five marinas in town come to mind. Perhaps the Portsmouth Economic Development Committee and our Director of Business Development can work towards bringing in new marine-related business.
Another thought would be to ensure that we are getting the most out of our contracts with the various tenants of our town-owned properties such as the Melville Campgrounds, Glen Manor House and Glen Farm Barns. We are entering a new contract at the Glen Manor House where the caretakers, Katie and Don Wilkinson successfully brought millions of dollars into our tax base. It will take a while for this new contract to ramp up and pay rewards but I am hopeful that it will succeed. Are we getting our money’s worth from the Campground and from the tenant at Glen Farm? If not, how do we get more value from these properties? Are the terms of the contracts being adhered to and if not, why not?
If elected to the Town Council, I promise to always do the level of research required to make smart, engineered and economical decisions for the betterment of Portsmouth.
Timothy Grissett
Position running for: Portsmouth Town Council
Current office held (if any): I have served on the Portsmouth Economic Development Committee for almost two years, this past year as secretary.
Occupation: Supervisor for a regional community-oriented bank in Portsmouth.
What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?
I am dedicated, open-minded, analytical, and forward-thinking. I often find that one of the most valuable ways to solve a problem is to listen.
I think the seven democrats that are running for town council will form the best group. Together we each bring our own life experiences, educational backgrounds and work in different industries that will create a well-rounded, like-minded, and diverse group.
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing Portsmouth, and how would you approach improving the situation?
The next town council will have several important issues, such as Church Community Housing Corp on developing a new senior center, the current proposal from Mayflower Wind to run high voltage transmission cables through Portsmouth from the offshore wind farms, continuing climate change resiliency, and dealing with high inflation.
I will help address all issues with transparency, open-mindedness, and forward thinking.
I will listen to what all Portsmouth citizens say, not just the ones talking in the room.
National politics have gotten nasty over the last few election cycles; I want to ensure that Portsmouth politics stay clean, respectful, and productive. I will work with all members of the Portsmouth Town Council regardless of party affiliation.
Keith Hamilton
Position running for: Portsmouth Town Council
Current office held (if any): Portsmouth Town Council 2008-Present
Occupation: Business Development Manager - Cryogenics for Controls Corporation of America (CONCOA)
What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?
Experience. The Portsmouth Town Council will be faced with many issues in the next few years that will require the knowledge of the past to help build the foundation for sound decisions for the future. We need to manage the school bond to maintain controls, finish the expenditure of the APRA monies effectively and look for ways to control spending to keep tax increases at a minimum.
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing Portsmouth and how would you approach improving the situation?
Taxes is always the biggest issue but if you focus on one issue you lose sight of many others. The Mayflower Wind project (and others) will be a huge issue. Maintaining our roads program locally and working cooperatively with the State to improve Sprague and East Main. We also need find a solution for the Old Mill Lane tank farm. All of the Island communities share in the concern of another 2019 Winter outage and we should all be working together to find a route for a second pipeline onto the island.
Leonard Katzman
Position running for: Portsmouth Town Council
Current office held (if any): Town Council (2018 to present; also served 2004-2008)
Occupation: I’m an attorney, serving as Director of Business Development, Brown University.
What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?
I stick strictly to facts and reason. I do the homework. I have no use for conspiracy theories or baseless speculation. I work hard to get good things done. I work equally hard to keep stupid things from happening. I seek to balance everyone’s competing interests. I want only what is best for the people of Portsmouth – I do not have a personal agenda nor do I cater to any special groups.
I state my reasonings in public council meetings. Sometimes that sways other council members. I also take care to listen, really listen, to others – to council members and to the public. Sometimes that changes my position after having heard new information or novel rationales.
I served on the town council for two terms from 2004 – 2008. I was elected in 2018 and continue to serve today. I have served twice on Portsmouth's Charter Review Committee, once in 2003 and then again in 2012. I have 22 years’ experience as a business attorney. Currently, I work at Brown University as Director of Business Development. Prior to my career in law I had a 15-year career in software engineering. I worked in many companies large and small, and I spent much of that time at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center.
I ask for your vote. I also ask that you vote for my fellow Democratic Party candidates because Portsmouth needs a whole council full of folks who get things done, who value facts over fiction and who are capable of competent decision making. I mentioned that I work to keep stupid things from happening. There are Republican candidates running who in prior council terms made blundering decisions, one of them costing taxpayers nearly a million dollars in a lawsuit that their own town solicitor warned them would happen, yet they voted to blunder ahead anyway. There’s also an independent candidate running who is known for his “F Portsmouth” signs – I don’t believe that’s what Portsmouth needs. Voters can trust that the Portsmouth Democratic Party slate of candidates are all competent, good people who can work together for a better town.
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing Portsmouth and how would you approach improving the situation?
I can list the biggest issues, like all other candidates responding to this question I’m sure can do. Topping the list is being able to afford to live in Portsmouth, something that’s becoming harder as home prices skyrocket. Big issues include keeping taxes down, supporting high-quality public schools, and protecting our natural environment to preserve our health and Portsmouth’s rural character.
Yet, the truth is that no candidate knows what will be the top issue during their term. No candidate in 2018 knew that they’d face the challenge of the COVID pandemic. Prior councils had to scramble to keep an unwanted Target big-box store out, or fight the state with a lawsuit to stop tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge. The biggest issues are unexpected crises. Portsmouth needs people on the council who can make calm, clear-headed decisions when unforeseen events unfolds. That’s true no matter what we may all agree upon as today’s “biggest” issue.
There’s another kind of “biggest” issue that voters should be wary of – fake issues. Every election cycle we hear at some candidates using scare tactics, making baseless claims, all to get you to vote for them to stop that Very Scary Thing. I’ve heard people spout alarming pension figures, as though all the dollars come from taxpayers, not voluntary contribution increases from employees themselves. I’ve seen people run their whole campaigns based on the claim that opponents want to force a 100 million dollar sewer project on the town – even though not one single town council candidate that I know of going back to at least 2004 has ever supported such a thing, whether Republican or Democratic Party or independent. Not one. Yet the scary sewer flyers landed on voter’s doorsteps.
This year, please don’t listen to scare mongers – or at least fact-check them before letting your blood pressure rise. Beware of those who peddle false information. Support the Portsmouth Democratic Party’s candidates. That all, like me, have a commitment to good open government and civil public discourse. Thank you for your consideration.
Charles Levesque
Position running for: Portsmouth Town Council
Current office held (if any): I currently do not no hold any Public Office.
Occupation: Retired
What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?
I do not think of myself as the most qualified person running for office but I do believe that with the talented group of Democrats who are running I can provide some very positive information about Portsmouth community and it's past and an awareness of government processes, particularly on the state level having previously been a State Representative and State Senator.
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing Portsmouth and how would you approach improving the situation?
The single biggest issue facing our community echoing down from the federal and state level is a commitment to democracy a commitment to allowing everyone's voice to be heard and a commitment to making sure that that voice is fully and well represented. While Portsmouth is almost literally an island it is not figuratively one. The problems of our Country in our State do eventually come and visit us in Portsmouth. We as a community have to make sure that we are prepared and preparing all of our citizens for that future. We do that by making sure that while democracy may not be pretty it is government by the people and for the people.
Sharlene Patton
Did not submit.
Juan Carlos Payero
Did not submit.
David G. Reise
Position Running for: Portsmouth Town Council
Current Office Held (if any): None
Occupation: Retired Engineer
What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?
I believe in this town as it has always been my home. By nature I am a problem solver and we need this for Portsmouth. As a Fleet In-Service Design Engineer and Program Manager working for the Navy, I gained 37 years of experience in problem solving that I believe will be suited for this task.
I am a graduate of Wentworth and Northeastern Universities with an Engineering/Program Management Degree. As a student, not only did I gain critical engineering training, but I also developed the necessary skills of budgeting since I had to put myself through college. Through hard work and careful spending, I earned my degrees and graduated debt free.
I live in Portsmouth with my wife, former Councilwoman Elizabeth Pedro. As a supportive husband, I became familiar with the amount of research it takes to make good Council decisions. I have two adult children who also grew up and currently live in Portsmouth, as well as two grandchildren. As a father, I developed the qualities of time management, organizational skills and dedication.
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing Portsmouth and how would you approach improving the situation?
I believe it’s important to keep Portsmouth affordable while maintaining the quality of life that we enjoy in our town so that our children and grandchildren can continue to live in this area.
I will work to control spending and overbearing regulations. Improving and maintaining present assets and infrastructure is crucial. Roads, buildings, parks and beaches need to be improved and maintained first. New proposals will be examined for the true long-term costs which can mushroom out of control, burdening the taxpayer.
Open space is important, but also a by-product of farming, so we must support our farmers, both large and small. I am quite familiar with this issue since I am an owner of a farm which dates back to 1914. This land also incorporates various animal habitats and open space. For this reason, I was awarded entry into the Stewardship Program from the National Resource Conservation Service Program. This is one of the few properties in this region selected for this program.
With good stewardship of our budget and resources, we can preserve the Portsmouth we all know and love. With your vote, I hope to contribute my skills so that we can make this happen.
J. Mark Ryan, MD
Position running for: Portsmouth Town Council
Current office held (if any): Portsmouth Town Council member since 2016
Occupation: Physician (Internal Medicine)
What makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking?
I’ve been on the Portsmouth Town Council since November 2016, and during that time have helped the council successfully address the challenges faced by our town and the concerns of Portsmouth residents. If re-elected, I will be able to continue to serve this community immediately upon my re-election.
Because of fiscally prudent policies instituted during my time on the council, we have been able to support our schools, maintain our roads and get RIDOT safety audits on East Main and West Main roads, make needed capital improvements, manage COVID-19 and severe weather challenges, and partner with a non-profit to build a new Senior Center with over 50 units of affordable senior housing—and at the same time, we have kept Portsmouth in the bottom third of tax rates for all RI municipalities and in the bottom 25% of towns that have comparable services like a professional fire department and public school system.
We have made the budgeting process more transparent and focused and discouraged approval of unjustified, ad hoc expenditures. While COVID-19 prevented other towns from passing FY 2020-21 budgets, Portsmouth remained on schedule, reduced our budget, and created an emergency COVID-19 contingency fund. Going forward, I will make sure that we pass ordinances that support the publicly vetted and supported vision of our town set forth in our new Comprehensive Plan.
I have lived on Aquidneck Island most of my life. I am very grateful that our children, John, Katie and Jamie, were able to grow up here and receive a great education in our public schools. Over time, the island has changed significantly and doubtless will continue to change, but with effective leadership the town can remain a place where all residents have the opportunity to live and thrive – just as my family and I have been able to do.
What do you believe is the biggest issue facing Portsmouth and how would you approach improving the situation?
The immediate threat facing so many Portsmouth residents is the high cost of living, especially with respect to housing and energy costs, and the larger threat of severe weather resulting from climate change. We need to take actions that will allow seniors to age in place, young people to stay in the community in which they grew up, and workers to live in the community where they work. We need to make sure that our coastal community can remain safe and resilient.
We have made significant progress addressing these threats, from hiring and retaining excellent staff that allow us to pursue judicious fiscal management and emergency preparedness, to instituting a program that allows residents to choose affordable electricity rates, to aggressively pursuing state and federal grant money for resiliency projects, to partnering with a non-profit to secure a new Senior Center and affordable housing units. If elected, I will continue this important work that benefits Portsmouth residents.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Meet the candidates for Portsmouth Town Council
