Westerly Town Council President Ed Morrone has abruptly resigned from the council, alleging that most council members have prevented citizens from being heard on specific issues, been divisive, and “callous.”
Morrone, who had previously served on the council and in the state House of Representatives and State Senate, was elected last November to the council and then elected president of the council that had only one holdover council member from the previous body.
Over these last several months, the divisiveness has been evident on many occasions amid several accusations, from sexual misconduct to conflict of interest. Yet, many in the community have lauded the council for its successes, clearing up several pending issues left by the former council and proposing several initiatives that address significant community issues.
Upon his election as council president, Morrone had set in motion studies on protecting the dunes along the coast, finding other water resources, and exploring the possibility of establishing a solar farm on an abandoned landfill.
“The current council has been very successful to date in tackling and resolving many held-over issues that were left unfinished by the previous council while introducing new and exciting initiatives that will result in positive benefits to the entire Westerly community in the future,” Morrone wrote in a letter released today.
“The road to success is not always smooth,” he wrote. “Mindful of the complexity and weight of some issues, we have not always agreed and in some instances, we have vehemently disagreed in rancor and discourse both in public and in private.”
The resignation follows a special council meeting that Morrone said was called by four council members. It revolved around a proposed resolution regarding the Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association, which the federal government awarded ownership of the Lighthouse and the four-acres surrounding it. The council, by a 5 to 1 vote (Morrone the lone dissenter) was seeking to intervene and have the federal government award the town the land but allow the Watch Hill group to maintain and operate the lighthouse. At issue is shoreline access.
Morrone asserts that some members of the public were prevented from speaking at the meeting.
“Every citizen in the community has the right to be heard on any issue that affects their quality of life,” Morrone wrote. “Recently, this town council has taken the initiative to exclude some of those voices. I cannot stand by and let this happen as a member of this community or this council without strenuous objection…I can no longer participate in a governing body that refuses to recognize and not fully respect the rights of all its citizens.”
Kevin Lowther, council vice president, said Morrone’s resignation today came a s surprise, and said that while the town will miss his leadership, it may provide the council an opportunity for a reset.
The council will likely accept Morrone’s resignation at its next meeting, setting in motion a reorganization of the council, including establishing a process to fill what will become a vacant council seat.
