Hugo DeAscentis Jr., candidate for Newport's First Ward Councilor, joins What'sUpNewp for a one-on-one conversation

Hugo DeAscentis Jr., a lifelong Newport resident and former school committee member, is running for Newport City Council’s first ward seat in the upcoming election.

DeAscentis, who served 13 years on the Newport school committee, cited his passion for the city and desire to address key issues as his motivation for seeking office in a one-on-one interview with What’sUpNewp on Monday, August 26.

“I’ve got a real passion for the city of Newport. I want to see the city of Newport thrive. I want to see the residents of the city of Newport, I want to see Newport remain affordable,” DeAscentis said in a live virtual conversation with What’sUpNewp’s Ryan Belmore.

The candidate identified two main “trigger issues” that prompted his run: the need to replace buildings at Easton’s Beach and the demolition of Rogers High School’s auditorium.

DeAscentis expressed concern over what he perceives as a lack of maintenance for city properties. “Let’s maintain what we have. If you maintain it, maybe we don’t have to build an high school. Maybe we don’t have to rebuild the beach,” he said.

He proposes creating dedicated documents for each city building, outlining initial costs, operation and maintenance expenses, and long-term building costs.

On the issue of generating revenue for infrastructure projects, DeAscentis emphasized fiscal responsibility. “We just can’t keep going out and asking the taxpayers for more money. Take care of what we’ve got,” he stated.

First Ward Needs

Regarding the first ward’s specific needs, DeAscentis highlighted traffic management for vehicles coming off the bridge and addressing flooding issues. He also stressed the importance of maintaining Newport’s walkability in future development plans.

“Right now, we’ve got traffic coming off the bridge. There’s a new kind of rerouting the traffic coming off the bridge,” DeAscentis said. “Flooding seems to be coming up quite a bit, too. So those are two issues that we’re going to have to look at.”

The candidate emphasized the need for careful planning in the development of land reclaimed from bridge rerouting. He advocates for maintaining Newport’s walkable character in any new projects.

“We need to be able to, as a pedestrian, walk through that area without having any major traffic issues,” DeAscentis stated.

Regarding flooding, DeAscentis believes the problem is solvable through engineering but requires proper funding and permitting.

“That’s something, I think, that can be solved. It’s just a matter of getting the right project up and running and then kind of pushing it to the end and solving that issue,” he said.

Moving Ahead

If elected, DeAscentis pledges to represent the entire city while paying special attention to First Ward issues. He aims to make Newport “a nice, livable, affordable place for our residents.”

DeAcentis provided his campaign website (hugodeascentisportcitycouncil.com) and email (hdeasc@gmail.com) for voters to reach out and share their thoughts.

DAcentis is one of three candidates running to serve as Newport City Council First Ward Councilor. What’sUpNewp will interview the other two candidates, Ellen Pinnock and Charles Pattavina, on Tuesday, August 27.

Early voting for the primary began Aug. 21 and continues through Sept. 9, with the primary election set for Sept. 10.