Politics & Government

Mayor Calls Councilor Irresponsible, His Resolution 'Mean Spirited'

Councilor Michael Farley proposed resolutions that he claimed would increase revenue by $1 million.

A package of resolutions that Newport Councilor Michael Farley said would increase revenue by $1 million was not widely embraced by his fellow councilors at the Newport City Council meeting Wednesday night. Farley said he plans to amend the resolutions for future consideration. 


Farley withdrew three resolutions, citing lack of council support. A resolution which proposed to explore options for the Newport Yacht Club, including possible sale, failed to receive a second, and therefore did not make it to the floor for a vote.


“We are the yachting capital of the world,” said Mayor Harry Winthrop before the meeting. “And a city councilor irresponsibly makes a suggestion to sell it. How can the City of Newport be considered the the yachting capital of the world without a yachting center?”

Winthrop added when the budget was adopted in June, the Council agreed to assemble a finance committee in order to review the budget. 

“We aren’t even two weeks into that, said Winthrop. “We are being bombarded with these resolutions without the benefit of having this committee." Winthrop said he will not support any of the resolutions as they are written. 

"Everything he does is about his ego," added Winthrop.

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The Mayor said Farley "plagiarized" his own ideas, when he introduced a resolution to explore development opportunities at the Newport Visitor's Center. 

“If you are in college, and you plagiarize someone’s work, you get expelled,” he said  “I’ve been proposing, for over a year, this exact private/public partnership.”

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Although Farley withdrew his resolution that would double mooring fees in order to bring in $500,000 of revenue, Councilor Naomi Neville suggested the idea should be vetted in a public workshop. 

"I could support some increase in mooring," said Mayor Winthrop. "I can not support double or tripling mooring fees, without having some rational bases for doing that. Sometimes the unintended consequence is killing business."

Farley also withdrew a resolution that would prevent additional tax exemptions for the East Bay Community Action Program by opposing House Bill 6213. He said the properties, 19-23 Broadway and 8 John Chaffee Boulevard, no longer qualify for the tax exemption because one parcel is vacant and the other is used medical facility. Farley said the annual tax payments would be $114,912.

"That's the most mean-spirited resolution ever put forward by a councilor in the city of Newport — to take away from those that need it," said the Mayor.  













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