Cooper, Gardner, Owen, Vallee, and Wilkinson are Committed To Charlestown
The following letter was submitted to local newspapers and is reprinted here with permission of the authors Susan Cooper, Peter Gardner, Ann Owen, Joshua Vallee, and David Wilkinson. The authors are candidates for Town Council in Charlestown.
We Are Committed To Charlestown
Our town deserves a government that will safeguard our excellent quality of life, our low tax rate, and our beautiful environment, priorities supported overwhelmingly by our taxpayers in the 2021 Town-wide Survey. To accomplish this, Charlestown Town Council candidates Susan Cooper, Peter Gardner, Ann Owen, Joshua Vallee, and David Wilkinson offer these commitments:
We commit to keeping our tax rate as one of the lowest in Rhode Island and managing our financial resources effectively. Charlestown’s tax rate is the third lowest in the state at $8.17 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Our tax rate coupled with a well-managed budget keeps Charlestown one of Rhode Island’s most solvent towns.
We commit to governing our town in a manner that is open, honest, and responsible; that is civil and respectful; and that strives to represent all citizens of Charlestown.
We commit to protecting our groundwater, coastal and inland wetlands, forests, wildlife, and star-filled skies. Our natural environment is the foundation of our resource-based economy, sustains our health and well-being, provides habitat for wildlife, and keeps our community a beautiful place to live and to visit.
We commit to providing access to our beaches and coastal and inland ponds and river; to maintaining well-kept parks and hiking trails; to preserving our exceptionally dark skies and abundant wildlife; to protecting our cultural and historical resources; and to expanding open space for increased access to bike paths, trails and waterfront. Access to these recreational opportunities is important to our citizens’ health and fitness and is one of the main drivers of business activity in town.
We commit to maintaining and acting in accordance with existing zoning regulations that provide for responsible, low-density development and that safeguard our drinking water and our health, keep forests and our inland and coastal wetlands healthy, mitigate climate impacts by cooling the air and sequestering carbon dioxide, and keep our expenses low, our taxes affordable, and our community beautiful.
We commit to supporting economic opportunities that preserve the landscapes we love, promote a vibrant community, are cost-effective to taxpayers, and are environmentally sustainable over time. We will work to protect the beautiful character of our scenic roads and historic villages. We will encourage conversion of existing housing stock to meet some of the need for affordable housing. We will guard against careless, high-density development that would threaten a heavier tax burden or a diminished quality of life.
We commit to supporting the Chariho administration and our School Committee representatives in their efforts to provide students with the safest and highest-quality education while also promoting sound fiscal management.
We commit to working as a community as we strive to safeguard our rural, beautiful town. Protecting our environment, economy, and future depends on electing great candidates for local office, and it also depends on each of us, the citizens of Charlestown, working together.
Sincerely,
Susan Cooper, Peter Gardner, Ann Owen, Joshua Vallee, and David Wilkinson
For full coverage of the local election in Charlestown, go to our Election page.