In the past, I have supported Lynn Ceglie and this was especially true during her service as my Ward 2 Councilor. I appreciate and thank her for all the work she has done, particularly in constituent services where she excels, however, my support for her has ended and I’d like to explain why.
In 2022, the City formed a mandated Charter Review Commission to look into areas of improvement. For those that are unaware, the last major changes to our Charter were done in the 1950s.
Good and dedicated citizens volunteered for that commission and took time to develop thoughtful recommendations such as term limits and filling mid-term vacancies using votes cast in previous elections – rather than having the remaining councilors handpick a successor.
Lynn didn’t give those recommendations the time of day or respect they deserved and, in fact, actively worked to shoot them down.
I, for one, do not believe that service on Council should be a lifelong endeavor and believe stagnation now permeates Newport’s City Council resulting in gridlock and personal grievances.
It seems to me that her recent comments about Discover Newport and Sister Cities is a continuation of this devolution and a downward spiraling behavior that is off-putting. No one disputes that Discover Newport and the Sister Cities program are very valuable to Newport. At last week’s meeting, the question was raised whether any Councilors should recuse themselves from voting on the re-alignment proposed by Discover Newport, especially where financial matters are involved. If there is any potential conflict of interest or gray area, they should seek an opinion from the State Ethics Board. When Evan Smith, Executive Director, was quoted as saying “Lynn, you could have said, ‘I can’t do this, I have to pay it myself,’ but you didn’t respond that way,” it made me wonder if there is indeed, a gray area that should be examined.
Regardless, there’s so much work to be done here in Newport and, to echo President Biden’s words, I believe it’s time for new and younger voices to be heard. It is time for new ideas and fresh perspectives on how to move the City forward and that is why I am supporting Matt Grant in the upcoming Ward 2 election. I met Matt when we both were early supporters of Gabe Amo holding meet & greets and going door to door. We have worked together on several democratic causes locally and nationally since. He is a software engineer skilled in using data to analyze and solve problems, and he co-owns Bellevue Boards on Broadway with his wife, Jackie, who manages the business. He is the change we need in Ward 2.
Robert Vitello, Newport
