Newport This Week

Art Weber for Town Council


Art Weber Candidate Statement

I am again a candidate for the Middletown Town Council because I believe that the main responsibility of town government is to ensure that the municipality develops and follows a plan that not only appropriately provides for its residents but also looks to the future.

A long-time member of the Planning Board, I contributed to the development of Middletown’s Comprehensive Plan, which provides guidelines and sets standards for development, but I have often felt frustrated when plans that have been developed over lengthy periods of time with multiple opportunities for citizen input do not receive the attention they deserve or become victims of personal opinion.

For example, Middletown is becoming a tourist haven of part-time residents with second homes that are pricing property out of the reach of both seniors and young families. The town needs to increase the availability of affordable housing, but nothing has been accomplished.

Additionally, the town relies too heavily on the tourist economy to the exclusion of commercial development that would promote economic stability.

The Middletown Town Council has a responsibility to follow through with action that will bring prosperity, and that is a goal I will pursue if the voters approve.

 

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