A city budget is a statement of values. One can see what councilors believe by what they fight to fund, and Ellen Pinnock’s priorities all point the same way: a decent standard of living for the people of the First Ward and for Newport as a whole.
City Council governs through ordinances and resolutions. Those are the tools that turn values into action, and Ellen’s record shows she uses them to center the residents who live here year-round, especially those carrying the weight of overtourism. In her first term she pushed for expanded recreation opportunities, stronger connections between the city and its schools, safer spaces for children, and investments to support families, including a splash pad and a food pantry trailer at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in the North End.
She also speaks plainly about housing. She has named it Newport’s most pressing issue, and she supports reducing short-term rentals while acknowledging tourism’s economic importance. That is a councilor weighing a visitor economy against neighbors who are struggling to stay in the city they love.
Ellen knows the First Ward because she lives and works there. When she says families deserve to feel included and supported, her budget priorities back it up.
Please join me in reelecting Ellen Pinnock as First Ward councilor.
Aïda Neary
First Ward, Newport
What’sUpNewp welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds from Newport County residents. Election-related submissions must be received by Friday, Oct. 30. Send yours to ryan@whatsupnewp.com. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and style, and do not reflect the views of What’sUpNewp.
