Hi Neighbor!
My name is Taryn Mazza and I am running for Newport City Council, At-Large. I’m a longtime Newporter who was born at Newport Hospital and graduated from Rogers High School in 1994 (Go Vikings).
I spent nearly a decade on the West Coast but truly, nothing compares to our fair city. Newport is one of the greatest loves of my life.
I’ve been living in my grandparents’ home for the past 8 years with my kids, my mother, my dog Lemon, and my cat Penguin.
I garden in the same plot where my Papa taught me to grow vegetables at the age of 3. My gardening heart guides my work always: cultivating plants and my community with intentionality and care.
I’m a proud parent of two former Newport Public Schools students and have seen both the strengths and challenges of our system.
Back in 2019 I helped found Newport Public Art, an organization that brought murals to life across the city. It was founded with the intent of highlighting our local artists and giving free access to art for anyone who wanted to stop and appreciate it.
I am currently the Project Manager for the Newport Health Equity Zone at The Women’s Resource Center. I work in the community and I love what I do, as well as the people and organizations I get to collaborate with. Being a natural collaborator with organizations that are also working to improve the heart of Newport is part of why I think I will serve the city well.
I also serve on the City’s Comprehensive Plan Advisory Commission, which works to update the primary planning document for Newport. The Comprehensive Plan is essential in guiding decisions on land use and policy that affects all our neighbors.
Like many year-round residents, I feel the pressure of rising costs and see the lack of yearly rental stock. Even though our home sits on valuable land, selling it would likely mean leaving Newport altogether. Many neighborhoods are now primarily seasonal, and the sense of community I grew up familiar with is fading; this breaks my heart. I miss knowing almost all of my neighbors.
I’m running because I’m deeply concerned about Newport’s path. We’ve leaned far too heavily on the golden goose of tourism without enough care for long-term sustainability, resilience, or the needs of year-round residents, elders, and families. As a coastal community, every decision we make should reflect stewardship, not just short-term gain. This island is not here merely for our financial desires or entertainment. It’s our job as those who cherish it to take care of it.
Over the years, we’ve lost waterfront access, community gathering spaces, green spaces, neighborhood character, small businesses, and momentum toward a more sustainable future. Too often, short-term or lack of decisions have come at the expense of our long-term well-being.
Time and again, I’ve watched opportunities to better serve Newport residents slip away despite strong resident support. I used to think that showing up and making your voice heard was enough. However, I’ve seen firsthand that a good portion of those in charge often do not want to listen. Public input hasn’t received the thoughtful consideration and respect it deserves. This does not move Newport in the direction of being an equitable community and I know we can do better by leading with transparency, collaboration, and respect.
This is a grassroots campaign. I have no vested business interests in hotels or tourism, and no aspirations for a higher political office. I don’t intend to wear out my welcome remaining on council for eternity or rest on the fact that people will vote me in because they might recognize my last name. My biggest motivation is to protect quality of life for all people who live here year-round, to foster more civic engagement,build community, and to help restore a liveable balance in our city by serving Newport well because I care deeply about this place.
I chose the tagline “All flourishing is mutual” from a favorite book of mine called Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The full quote is this:
If one [pecan] tree fruits, they all fruit – there are no soloists. Not one tree in a grove, but the whole grove; not one grove in the forest, but every grove; all across the county and all across the state. The trees act not as individuals, but somehow as a collective. Exactly how they do this, we don’t yet know. But what we see is the power of unity. What happens to one happens to us all. We can starve together or feast together. All flourishing is mutual.
The Newport I know and love has always been rooted in community. A network of lovely and talented folks who help and look out for each other. Neighbors, families, artists, craftspeople, nurses, surfers, teachers, and so many others. Right now, Newport risks becoming a community where fewer and fewer year-round residents can afford to put down roots. I don’t believe that’s the future we should accept.
Measured, careful forward movement with resilience at the heart of it, attention to quality of life, and investment in full time residents is where I want to focus my energy. If we don’t have a council interested in that, we’ve got nothing.
If you have any questions about my campaign and how I will work for you on the City Council, please reach out to me: mazzyatlarge@gmail.com or swing by the garden.
Taryn Mazza
