Latest news with #localcontrol
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Central Falls voters approve a school board for their city. What comes next?
Central Falls voters have approved a plan to create a hybrid school board for the city. During a July 8, 2025 election on the referendum, only 194 voters cast their ballot on the question, but 91% were in favor. Currently, schools in the 'One Square Mile' city are governed by a six-member Board of Trustees appointed by Rhode Island's education commissioner. Under the new plan, Central Falls will replace that model with a school board comprised of nine members, four of whom will be elected and the remaining five appointed. Mayor Maria Rivera's administration encouraged residents to vote yes on the ballot measure. 'We will introduce a resolution – sponsored by every council member – to put before our voters a historic referendum: a new school board structure that brings greater local control and accountability to our schools,' she announced during her budget address in May. 'For the first time in decades, our community will have the power to shape the future of our schools.' The Central Falls School District has been under state control since 1991, when local officials sought support for its borderline bankrupt public schools. Despite initial optimism for state intervention, the city's schools are still struggling financially more than 30 years later. The district ranked last among all Rhode Island school districts in English Language Arts, math and science standardized testing during the 2023 – 2024 school year, according to Central Falls officials. In October, Rivera released a report detailing 'systemic failures' that continue to plague the schools, after a year-long survey with input from hundreds of teachers, students, parents and other community members. Following the report's release, a team of school and city leaders worked to redesign the school district's governance structure, recommending more local and community involvement. Rivera has said she would like to see the schools returned to local control and that ongoing reform efforts are a key part of that plan. The General Assembly agreed this year to create a commission for studying the effects of returning the Central Falls school system to local control. In the upcoming school year, the state is funding the district's entire $54.8 million budget, so the commission will research sustainable financial strategies for Central Falls to contribute money to its schools going forward, along with a plan to transfer control tentatively by July 1, 2026. Central Falls City Council introduced a resolution in May that would amend the city's charter to create a school board. Now that voters have approved that plan, the city can prepare to elect four members in November's general election and appoint the other five members in time for the board to assemble in January. The City Council established a framework for a five-person School Board Nominating Committee: One member will be selected by a majority vote of the City Council. At least one member selected by the city council must be a family member of a current student. One member will be selected by the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education. After an initial term of three years, this member will be replaced by another appointment from the City Council. One member will be selected by the mayor. One member will be selected by the Central Falls Teachers Union. At the time of selection, this member must be a current or former educator. One member will be selected by the Student Council at Central Falls High School. At the time of selection, this member must be a current student. The School Board Nominating Committee is supposed to engage in a community-led process to nominate school board members for appointment, who the mayor will then approve. The city has already opened applications to join the board. Along with the referendum, voters cast their ballots on July 8 to elect Anthony A. Solano as city councilor for Central Falls Ward 4, and Stefano V. Famiglietti in the Senate District 4 primary. Voter turnout was 23%. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Central Falls will get a new school board to transition out of state takeover
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
In growing field for CT governor, a mayor plans civility. Tagline: ‘New generation of leadership'
It was all smiles for Gov. Ned Lamont and New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart. The two political rivals could end up facing each other in the race for governor next year but they came together this week to hail the opening of a new affordable housing project in Stewart's hometown. The leaders had nothing bad to say about each other or a new, 154-unit complex that has been resurrected from a long-closed factory on Ellis Street off the exit on Route 9. Families earning anywhere from $30,000 to $80,000 per year are eligible for the rental units, and they are 100% leased, officials said. At least one unit remained unoccupied so that top officials could see it. Housing has been a touchy subject recently. Lamont has been repeatedly blasted by liberal Democrats for vetoing an affordable housing bill after an outcry from Republicans that the controversial bill took away too much local control from town boards around the state. Despite political differences on other issues, Stewart backed up Lamont. 'It was the right move to veto the housing bill,' Stewart told The Courant. 'Local control is very important, and local control is also what leads to developments like this' in New Britain. Lamont, a lifelong Democrat, agreed that he has gotten along quite well with Stewart during his tenure as governor. 'We've been friends for years,' Lamont said when asked by The Courant. 'Often we clip the ribbons at these housing [ceremonies]. We've done hundreds of units together here, and sometimes we have lunch afterwards. … We work together well. Look, we've worked very constructively for a long time. Keep that going.' A six-term mayor, Stewart was the first high-profile Republican to explore a run for governor in the 2026 cycle She was first elected at age 26, becoming the youngest mayor in New Britain history, taking office when her father left office after eight years as mayor. Her supporters have touted her for higher office because Republicans are outnumbered 4 – 1 in New Britain, which has a history of crossover support for Republicans. Stewart has technically filed paperwork for an exploratory run for statewide office, but it is widely believed that she is running for governor. In a late development, state Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden filed paperwork Tuesday to run for governor as liberal Democrats have been upset that Lamont vetoed the affordable housing bill and another pro-labor measure that would have awarded unemployment compensation benefits to workers who had been on strike for more than 14 days. Underneath a tent on a hot day before they helped cut a ceremonial ribbon to open the affordable housing complex, Stewart and Lamont embraced and laughed as they chatted before the speeches began. 'I'm a firm believer that you don't have to be an enemy of someone to run against them and to show there's a different way,' Stewart said in an interview. 'I think that's probably what politics is missing nowadays. Everybody wants that factor where they're waiting for me to come out and say something that is so far beyond the pale about Ned personally. That's not my style. Nor would I expect a candidate to do that to me.' Stewart added, 'The tagline I've got is a new generation of leadership. I think we're a little stale. That's not an insult to Ned. It's just that we have different management and different leadership styles, and we come from very different worlds. Just me standing next to him, we can show that you can get along and you can disagree respectfully, and you can agree on some things, and that's OK. Just because you're running against someone doesn't mean that you have to be all gung ho and curse the world and their existence.' Stewart, however, said there will be times of disagreement in the future. 'Don't get me wrong.' Stewart said. 'I am from New Britain, so I will take digs when I need to.' Stewart could end up in a primary in August 2026 against Sen. Ryan Fazio, a Greenwich Republican who also represents parts of Stamford and New Canaan. Fazio won a hard-fought race in the 2024 cycle against Democrat Nick Simmons, a well-funded former Greenwich resident who moved to Stamford. Fazio reenergized Republicans statewide by winning his seat in a special election in 2021 after former Sen. L. Scott Frantz had lost the district in 2018 to Democrat Alex Bergstein, who changed her name to Alex Kasser after winning the seat. Fazio then won a squeaker against Harvard graduate Trevor Crow in 2022 by a margin of only 89 votes after recounts in all three towns in the district. Fazio's supporters believe he can defeat Stewart in a primary, adding that the pair could be a strong ticket if Stewart ran for lieutenant governor as she did in 2018 after dropping out of the governor's race. She was defeated in a three-way race by state Sen. Joe Markley, a conservative Republican who later ran on the ticket with Madison business executive Bob Stefanowski in a losing effort against Lamont. As a fellow Greenwich resident, Lamont has worked together with Fazio on various issues, including the much-debated Senate Bill 4 that aimed to reduce the cost of electricity for consumers across the state. 'Look, he's a good guy,' Lamont told reporters recently of Fazio. 'I've gotten to know him along the way down there in Greenwich. He can do what he wants to do. I like working with him. … I worked with him on the energy bill, for example. It's the political season. This will keep coming up.' When asked by a television reporter if he would rather run against Fazio or Stewart, Lamont said, 'That's probably not a great issue for me to get into. Look, I think I saw Ryan is going to run as a fiscal conservative. He doesn't want to raise taxes. Keep the balanced budget. I think we've done a pretty good job of that over the last six years.' Another potential Republican opponent, Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker, hailed Lamont's veto of the housing bill as 'a victory.' In the short term, Lamont could be facing competition within his own party as Elliott, a deputy House Speaker, has filed paperwork to jump into the race. Elliott has said he would run in the same way that he challenged then-sitting House Speaker Brendan Sharkey in a 2016 primary before Sharkey abruptly retired. Elliott's formal announcement will be next Monday at 1 p.m. in front of town hall in his hometown of Hamden. State Rep. Nick Gauthier, a freshman from Waterford, wrote in a lengthy op-ed in The Courant on Monday that Lamont should not seek a third term. He follows Sen. Saud Anwar of South Windsor, who penned a similar op-ed last month. Gauthier said he first voted for Lamont at the age of 19 in August 2006 when Lamont defeated U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman in an upset before losing in the general election. Today, he says Lamont should step aside due to his vetoes of the housing bill and another controversial bill that would have awarded unemployment benefits to striking workers after 14 days off the job. 'As the governor of our state and the de facto head of our Connecticut Democratic Party, Lamont has a responsibility to stand with our workers and our working families both in deed and in law,' he said. 'Instead, Lamont chose to veto pro-worker legislation put on his desk by a consensus of over 85% of his own Democratic party lawmakers.' Looking ahead to the 2026 race, Stewart said that Connecticut does not have to be the same as politics at the national level. 'When we look at politics nationally now, and because of the way that things have been with Biden, Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Kamala Harris, we look for those nasty digs,' Stewart said. 'That was created by the higher-ups in both parties — Republican and Democrat. We look for those nasty digs. We look for the tweets. We look for the memes. We look for that stuff. I'm certainly not a boring candidate, not by any means, but I was also raised to be respectful, too. I would never want to disappoint my parents or my grandparents in embarrassing them like that.' Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Utah Republican proposes sale of more than 2 million acres of US lands
More than 2 million acres of federal lands would be sold to states or other entities under a budget proposal from Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, reviving a longtime ambition of Western conservatives to cede lands to local control after a similar proposal failed in the House. Lee, who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, included a mandate for the sales in a draft provision of the GOP's sweeping tax cut package released Wednesday. Sharp disagreement over such sales has laid bare a split among Republicans who support wholesale transfers of federal property to spur development and generate revenue, and other lawmakers who are staunchly opposed. Land in 11 Western states from Alaska to New Mexico would be eligible for sale. Montana was carved out of the proposal after lawmakers there objected. A spokesperson for Montana Sen. Steve Daines said Thursday that he is 'against the sale of public lands but glad to see Montana exempted.' Sen. Martin Heinrich, the ranking Democrat on the energy committee, said the proposal would exclude people from places where they fish, hunt and camp. 'I don't think it's clear that we would even get substantial housing as a result of this,' Heinrich said. 'What I know would happen is people would lose access to places they know and care about and that drive our Western economies.' Most public lands are in Western states. In some, such as Utah and Nevada, the government controls the vast majority of lands, protecting them from potential exploitation but hindering growth. Lee's proposal does not specify what properties would be sold. It directs the secretaries of interior and agriculture to sell or transfer at least 0.5% and up to 0.75% of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management holdings. That equals at least 2.1 million acres (868,000 hectares) and up to 3.2 million acres (1.3 million hectares). The Republican said in a video released by his office that the sales would not include national parks, national monuments or wilderness. They would instead target 'isolated parcels" that could be used for housing or infrastructure, he said. 'Washington has proven time and again it can't manage this land. This bill puts it in better hands,' Lee said. Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke, who served as interior secretary in President Donald Trump's first term and led the effort to strip land sales out of the House version, said he remained a 'hard no' on any legislation that includes large-scale sales. States or other entities would nominate potential parcels. Before carrying out sales, federal officials would have to consult with governors, local officials and any impacted Native American tribes. Conservation groups reacted with outrage, saying it would set a precedent to fast-track the handover of cherished lands to developers. "Shoving the sale of public lands back into the budget reconciliation bill, all to fund tax cuts for the wealthy, is a betrayal of future generations and folks on both sides of the aisle," said Michael Carroll with The Wilderness Society. Housing advocates have cautioned that federal land is not universally suitable for affordable housing. Some of the parcels up for sale in Utah and Nevada under the House proposal were far from developed areas. Last year Republican officials in Utah filed a lawsuit seeking to take over huge swaths of federal land in the state, but they were rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court. Twelve other states backed Utah's bid.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Elections to lead new Weber County city draw 37 mayoral, city council hopefuls
EDEN, Weber County — As the new city materializing in the Ogden Valley takes shape, there's no lack of interest in leading the locale. The filing period to run for mayor or one of five city council seats that will serve the new city ended last Friday, and a total of 37 people have stepped forward to run for the six leadership posts. Four mayoral candidates have emerged: Janet Wampler, Kyle Reeder, Andrew Newton and Shanna Francis. 'It's an indication that this community is eager to get on with being its own municipality,' said Nick Dahlkamp, who helped with initial organizing efforts that led to last November's vote to create the city. 'This just again exemplifies how important people feel that they want to take control of their destiny and are eager to get on with it.' Apart from the four mayoral hopefuls, the District 1 and 5 City Council races have drawn five candidates each, the District 2 contest has seven candidates and the District 3 and 4 races have eight hopefuls each. Dahlkamp said the numbers exceeded his expectations. The Ogden Valley city, to be officially named by the slate of leaders who win, covers an expansive area around Pineview Reservoir on the eastern side of the Wasatch Mountains, east of Weber County's population cluster around Ogden. It's a picturesque zone, home to three ski resorts, and boosters of incorporation touted becoming a city as a means of maintaining local control as growth pressures mount. An estimated 7,600 people live within the planned city's boundaries. The long list of candidates will be whittled to two in each contest in primary voting, which culminates on Aug. 12. The winners will be selected in general election balloting, which ends on Nov. 4. Those victors will be sworn in on Jan. 5 next year, when the city formally comes into being, according to Ogden Valley Inc., the organization that promoted incorporation. While campaigning has yet to begin in earnest, the filing paperwork offers some information about the candidates. In the mayoral race, Wampler's filing says she serves as chairwoman of the Ogden Valley Planning Commission, which serves as an advisory body to Weber County commissioners on planning issues in the Ogden Valley. The Weber County Commission is the ruling body that now governs the unincorporated area, pending installation of the newly elected leaders next January. She also serves the Community Foundation of Ogden Valley, a nonprofit group that raises funds for other nonprofits serving the area. Reeder is an attorney 'specializing in business transactions and commercial litigation,' reads his filing. Newton is owner of two small businesses, Composet Products and Proformance Services, and served in a volunteer post with the Pineview West Water Co., a provider of secondary water, according to the Utah Division of Water Rights. Francis is the owner and operator of the Ogden Valley News, a newspaper serving the Ogden Valley. She was also one of the six original sponsors who pursued incorporation of the Ogden Valley. Separately, incorporation proponents have been working with the public to plan for the transition to incorporation. Some 180 people have stepped forward to assist with things like budget preparation, creating an organizational structure for the city and crafting of zoning ordinances and other codes, according to Kay Hoogland, who's helping with transitional efforts and also running for a city council seat. She called the volunteers 'the advance team' for the eventual winners in elections and said the many candidates will be invited to take part in the efforts. While the Ogden Valley locale will be the newest Utah city, a new town is taking shape in Utah County, Spring Lake, which sits between Payson and Santaquin and is home to around 600 people. Residents there last year also voted to become a new locale and will pick leaders in this year's election cycle. Wade Menlove is the sole mayoral candidate, according to Utah County election officials. Seven hopefuls are running for two four-year town council posts, and seven are running for two two-year town council seats.
