Fresh faces and familiar ones, too, gathered as the city’s new leadership Monday night at Cranston High School West.
At 7 p.m. an inaugural ceremony was held in the auditorium at Cranston …
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Fresh faces and familiar ones, too, gathered as the city’s new leadership Monday night at Cranston High School West.
At 7 p.m. an inaugural ceremony was held in the auditorium at Cranston West to swear in the new City Council and School Committee and Mayor Kenneth Hopkins, returning for his second term as the city’s top executive.
The night began with a welcome from the master of ceremonies, Anthony Moretti, chief of staff for Hopkins.
The Cranston High School West chamber orchestra provided music while the Cranston Fire Department escorted the mayor, members-elect of the City Council and School Committee, Superintendent of Schools Jeannine Nota-Masse, Gov. Dan McKee and other dignitaries who came in support.
Following the procession, the Police Department’s Honor Guard posted the American flag and the Rhode Island flag.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by grandchildren of the mayor and children of members of City Council and School Committee.
The national anthem was sung by Alexis Kelshaw, a senior at Cranston East, and Father Michael Sisco, pastor at Saint Mary Church, gave the invocation.
Ahead of swearing in Hopkins, McKee gave a speech about moving Rhode Island forward.
“It is a point in time where the voters have let us know, and let you know in Cranston, who’s going to lead the charge here to make sure that the city keeps on moving in the right direction, which under Mayor Hopkins’ leadership, it happened,” McKee said.
After McKee’s speech, North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi took time to share his thoughts about Hopkins.
There was a moment of laughter even before Lombardi came on stage, as Moretti shared a funny story about the mayor’s wardrobe while introducing him.
“The last time I saw him, I said ‘Mayor, I have to say, you dress so well, that suit you have on tonight, it’s impeccable, it’s beautiful.’ Moretti shared. “He said to me, ‘I own the cleaners. Sometimes people forget to pick up their suits.’”
Lombardi spoke of his friendship with Hopkins and his own background in Cranston, where he grew up.
Hopkins took the oath of office from McKee as the mayor’s grandchildren watched, including Kenneth J. Hopkins III, Lily Hopkins, Jonathan Ortega and Chloe Shackleford.
Hopkins spoke about the city’s improvement under his leadership, the adjustments made in education and the gains made in the city’s financial standing.
“Over the past four years, we have made Cranston a stronger community,” Hopkins said. “Cranston today is much improved in our financial health. We have made progress on many fronts. The days of fund deficits are gone.”
Hopkins went on to report that the city saw another surplus of about $1.5 million to add to its rainy-day fund. He also said the city is managing the current fiscal year without a tax increase and with no reliance on the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Hopkins touched on the approaching budget season, calling this year a time of fiscal complexities at the state and federal levels.
Toward the end of his speech, Hopkins said he hopes to work together with the new City Council. He underscored the idea of not letting “partisan motives” govern the discussions that need to happen.
“Frankly, over the last two years, our community has lost out on some significant opportunities as a result of politics and partisanship,” Hopkins said. “With a new City Council, let’s renew ourselves to working together. Let us find collaborative solutions with healthy debate of ideas to best address our needs and opportunities for the people we serve.”
Hopkins ended his speech with a pledge to serve with honesty, transparency and integrity.
“I will lead by doing only what is best for the wonderful people that I serve,” Hopkins said. “My message to the businesses and residents of our city is simple: Cranston’s future is bright.”
The new school committee members were sworn in, and Domenic Fusco Jr. announced as the new School Committee chairman.
In his speech, he emphasized the importance of continuing to allocate needed resources to the schools and updating the school infrastructure.
“We must keep progressing,” Fusco said – “move our buildings out of the 1950s and into the 21st century.”
The School Committee will meet next on Thursday night, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. for a public budget work session and meeting in the Cranston East auditorium.
After the official ceremony concluded, the stage at Cranston West quickly transformed into the first City Council meeting of the year.
Citywide council member Jessica Marino was reelected by her peers to serve another term as council president. Ward 6 council member Daniel Wall was elected the council’s new vice president.
Ward 2 council member Kristen Haroian was elected majority leader and citywide council member Richard Campopiano chosen as minority leader.
After thanking the assembled dignitaries for attending and her council colleagues for their service, Marino shared her gratitude to her family and friends for their continued support.
She also paid homage to her late grandparents and the sacrifices they made in emigrating from Italy.
“It was the fortitude and strength of my grandparents to come to America from Italy with their young children, leaving everything behind, in search of the American dream not just for them, but for the generations after,” she continued. “I will forever be grateful to them for that.”
Marino then spoke of the future and her hopes for the work of the council in the coming term.
“For those who I've served with before, they know that I am a person of my word, that I truly value honesty, integrity, transparency and collaboration,” she said. “As we work together to best serve our community, that essential collaboration is not only with each other as colleagues, but it also includes the mayor, it includes state partners and it includes the greater community at large.”
Marino said she believes they all have common goals, including fiscal responsibility, public safety and 21st-century learning.
“I look forward to the hard work in the term ahead to help ensure that Cranston continues moving in the right direction to enhance the city that we call home,” she said. “If we all want better, then we need to take responsibility in doing better … We need to spend more time being thoughtful and taking pause. Disagreement when done right is healthy … and essential in a civilized and prosperous society.
“What is not healthy and should not be tolerable, is exhibiting hostility with insults or violence. I hope that the City of Cranston can continue with its executive and legislative branches to serve as an example of what should be the norm.”
Included in the council meeting was the swearing-in of municipal judges and other positions.
All votes of confirmation were unanimous.
The next City Council meeting will be Monday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. in City Hall.
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