Once again, Tiverton voters face a stark choice between moving forward together as a community, or going back to a town divided, with those running town government working for their own interest instead of the common good.
Tiverton 1st is a non-partisan community group with a simple goal: to promote better town government, one that focuses on cooperation to better our community, without personal or political agendas. Tiverton 1st has recommended a slate of local candidates who we believe are most likely to fulfill this goal. Like the group itself, they come from a variety of backgrounds and political views. But we believe they share our commitment to work together to improve our community. Visit Tiverton 1st on Facebook or at www.tiverton1st.blogspot.com to see the candidate list and get more information.
There is another slate of candidates, calling themselves “Clean Up Tiverton”. This group is made up largely of people formerly part of the TCC group. Residents will likely recall TCC’s disastrous two years running the Town Council, when they worked primarily on their own personal and political agendas. This resulted in efforts such as the town wasting thousands on a failed attempt to strip the schools of over a half-million dollars approved by voters. Voters resoundingly voted against most TCC candidates in 2012.
CUT candidates talk about transparency and concern for taxpayers. Some of these same people are part of a years-old lawsuit against the town that has cost us all over $25,000 so far in legal costs. They seek money from the town, and to establish that a Town Council minority should be able to overrule some budget and tax decisions of FTR voters. TCC also took advantage of a loophole in campaign-finance law and refused to disclose who their donors were during FTR campaigns, then fought against efforts to close that loophole. And TCC famously attempted to force devastating cuts on our schools, and eliminate all funding for community groups such as Visiting Nurses.
Now they attack town officials with baseless conspiracy theories, exploiting an unfortunate personnel issue that this Council inherited and dealt with promptly and professionally, according to the law. They also attempt to make a negative out of the town acquiring, at no cost to us, property at Grinnell’s Beach that will be made available for all to enjoy. Would they have refused this cost-free opportunity to better our town?
Tiverton is a great town, and our home. We have problems like any town, and what we need is elected officials who will put aside personal concerns to work together, not those who offer nothing but negativity and self-interest. Please get out and vote in support of pro-Tiverton candidates. The future of our community is up to you.
Brian Medeiros
Tiverton, RI
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