Letter: Preserve the Charm & Character of NK

To the editor:

Together with other Independent candidates, I am running for North Kingstown Town Council under the “SaveNK” banner. Here’s why.

Twenty years ago my wife and I decided to make North Kingstown our home. Through the years our annual property tax increased, growth and development rose; all the while I had assumed the actions and expenditures of our elected town officials would improve NK while protecting the quality of our lives.

Over the last few years my optimism and assumptions have changed. I’ve experienced firsthand the countless undesirable actions by the Town Council and decisions implemented without regard to residents’ factual concerns and objections.  While attending the meetings, I’ve progressively observed the majority of our Town Council members harden as they take a position of resistance without tolerance. Recent issues and decisions have included wasteful school department and firefighter lawsuits costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars; the lack of consolidation which would allow for current and future savings; the lack of vision advancing the continued decline of our Post Rd business district; the unsafe and potentially unhealthy placement of a 40-story turbine in a residential community and earlier consideration of the placement of a second turbine in the area of another residential community and continued consideration of zoning changes to allow expanded commercial development abutting residential areas outside the Urban Service Boundary and in areas preserved as open space.

As residents are at the top of the town organization chart, we are in dire need to seat a Town Council that will be fiscally responsible while listening to and respecting resident concerns.  As such, I’m convinced that we need a Town Council that will lead with integrity while ensuring that we move in a positive direction without regard to party demands or consideration to special interests.

My ideals and abilities are a few of the reasons that I am running as an Independent candidate for Town Council.  While I am not the definition of a typical politician, I do consider myself as a highly motivated and intelligent individual with the ability to get things done by including and working with all concerned.  I look forward to earning the votes of NK residents on Nov 6.  I also look forward to the challenges of building a better NK by holding the line on taxes, promoting NK as business friendly, working with all town departments and committees, ensuring responsible development, promoting Post Rd growth and most importantly; I will listen to the people of North Kingstown.

Please visit www.savenk.org  for additional information and my pledge to you.

Rickey Thompson

North Kingstown