Questions and Answers?

Question 13

Each of the incumbent candidates was asked an additional question…

Connolly	Q: In the last election you were critical of an "adversarial relationship between the city council and school committee" that doesn't need to be there. What progress have you been able to achieve? A: I see no need for there to be an adversarial relationship between the City Council and the School Committee .As elected officials we have a responsibility for the good of the whole City but that requires a willingness to discuss serious issues regarding contracts, shared services and under-funded liabilities. The School Committee for the Schools and the City for the rest of the citizens.
Coyne	Q: In the last election your election ads stated "Prioritize key issues including unfunded pension and health care liabilities." Has the city made enough progress to address these issues? What are the next steps you would support? A:The short answer is No. This Council has taken the City further in addressing the issue than it has ever been, but we still have a tremendous amount of work to do. The single most important thing we can do is manage the negotiations of our contracts. This Council has worked hard to negotiate fair contracts with all of our City employees. The FOP has come to the table and become the first municipal union to agree to cost-sharing into retirement. This is a foundation on which to build. I will continue to support the efforts of the Solicitor and the City Manager to fairly negotiate contracts with all of our municipal unions and work hard to attain concessions in those contracts that will help to decrease our liability over the long term.
Jeanne Marie Napolitano	Q: In the last election you talked about the city's unfunded retirement benefit liability and stated "Fiscal concerns like this drive everything else." Has the city made enough progress to address this issue? What are the next steps you would support? A:I stand by my statement. In my opinion, until the issue is totally resolved, we have not made enough progress. We continue our negotiations with a focus toward cost sharing of the health premium for all employees. Until one shares in the cost of an item, there is little incentive to control increases. Educating employees of their current benefits and the escalating liabilities for the city should promote a more balanced resolution. If progress and agreements cannot be reach through negotiations, the only choice left for the city would be a reduction in the workforce.
Steve Waluk	Q: In the last election you stated that you considered yourself the "most vocal" on the council when it comes to cutting the budget. With the manager's "major economic battle ahead" what significant spending cuts could you propose to help meet the $13,000,000 gap? A: I am not sure what the "$13,000,000 gap" is. The city needs to find efficiencies within government to cut costs. The biggest portion of all departments is employee costs. The most significant area where improvement can be made is in the area of healthcare. All employees must begin to pay a portion of their healthcare and take this cost sharing into retirement.
Charlie Duncan	Q: Two proposals have been put on the table by the RI-DOT to re-align the bridge ramps from the Newport Bridge. Both plans include a one way road traveling south along the current rail corridor. The DOT says one plan has slightly better traffic flow characteristics and the other frees up much more space that could be added to the tax rolls. Which of the two plans do you favor and why? A: Plan C - Do nothing. Plans A & B have a road sharing space with the rail corridor that will: a) Present a road way that emergency vehicles cannot service except at either end of a one lane road b) Has an adverse environmental impact c) When traffic is backed up there in no way to open up the lanes at Elm, Poplar, or Bridge to allow emergency vehicles access to the Point area d) There is no plan on what to do with the additional traffic enter Americas Cup.

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