After five years on City Council, Cranston’s first female council president, Jessica Marino, says for the first time she finds a true effort of bipartisanship and teamwork.

Against the backdrop of an ever-edgier political climate, Marino says, the current council has managed to avoid what she calls “petty politics” games.

She says she hopes to continue in the same spirit as the year unfolds, citing the recent budget process for the fiscal year that begins July 1 as an example of bipartisanship among council members and the mayor’s office.

Calls for continued collaboration are reminiscent of a similar message from Marino during her inaugural address in January.

“What’s been different is there’s a genuine willingness to collaborate across party lines,” Marino said. “And it's just the natural inclination of the council members to conduct themselves that way.”

This doesn’t mean council members always agree, she says, but there is a refreshing effort to hear the thoughts and preferences of a ward council member on issues that may affect their ward.

Since her time in office, Marino has cited her grandparents and parents as some of the strongest motivators for her role in public service. When you walk into a City Council meeting, you witness Marino in her element.

She reads everything in preparation for matters on the agenda. When she speaks, you can tell she has done her research, paying attention to the impact the decisions of the council have on residents.

It is that dedication and her determination to remain in local politics, especially in current times, that Marino says are the qualities her parents and grandparents would be proud of.

“The climate is a very hostile climate,” Marino said. “It happens too often where people who hold public office choose to take the low road and cut at other people or just be negative to distract from issues. And that has never been who I am, and it will never be who I am.”

Plenty of work ahead

This year, the council unanimously approved the FY25-26 budget, which Marino said was the first time in a long time she saw bipartisanship really come together.

While the city budget seems to be going smoothly, Marino says there is still plenty of work in the year ahead.

Issues from rodent control to seeking improvements for the city’s inspections department are just some of the matters she hopes to work on. 

Another issue that Marino is keeping her eye on is the impact of losing American Rescue Plan Act funding, the large sums of federal money that was given to cities nationwide during the pandemic.

Marino said in 2020, everything was uncertain, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime type of situation. Coming out of the pandemic, the city can’t count on that type of federal funding anymore, especially with the national turmoil and a lot of federal money being pulled back.

“That is my concern because that doesn't happen just in a vacuum,” Marino said. “It has a trickle-down effect. Even if it's federal funding that is not given to a local nonprofit that impacts us as a city, because then those are people that live within our community that relied upon those services … [and] they're no longer receiving [them].”

Affordability is another concern that Marino is focused on. She says that for residents, everything is more expensive. The increased costs of utilities, rent and mortgage payments have outpaced people’s incomes, she says.

The city’s Housing Commission is something that Marino is hoping will improve this year. With some new appointments, she wants to see the Housing Commission take a more active role.

Marino is a longtime proponent of always including a portion of affordable housing with proposed residential developments.

Looking to the future, Marino says she wants to see more of the true bipartisanship she has come to experience with this year’s council. She says it’s refreshing to see the mayor’s office and council work together to solve issues important to residents.

But while the work seems never-ending, the summer is fast approaching and, for an outdoorswoman like Marino, that is paradise.

Keeping to the Rhode Island spirit, she says summer offers some of the best times to experience the Ocean State.

Her summer plans include enjoying the Rhode Island coast. Whether that’s with a nighttime stroll looking up at the stars with her children or a fun little kayaking adventure, which she does every summer.

Marino says she loves to be outside, at the shoreline, hearing the waves. And while by day, Marino works as a civil litigation insurance defense lawyer and serves as the council president, she’s often just a Cranstonian enjoying the Rhode Island shore.

“There's just such a peaceful serenity to just being on the water, just enjoying nature,” Marino said. “I just like the simple stuff.”