Peers select Briden as East Providence council president/mayor

Will serve in the role for a second time

By Mike Rego
Posted 12/5/16

EAST PROVIDENCE — Upon his return to the city council after a session away, At-Large representative Jim Briden has once again been selected by his peers as the council president/mayor of East …

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Peers select Briden as East Providence council president/mayor

Will serve in the role for a second time

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — Upon his return to the city council after a session away, At-Large representative Jim Briden has once again been selected by his peers as the council president/mayor of East Providence.

Mr. Briden's unanimous appointment was done as part of the inauguration ceremony held for incoming members of the council and school committee Monday night, Dec. 5, at city hall.

Sworn in as well on the council were Bobby Britto, re-elected from Ward 1; Joe Botelho from Ward 3, who previously served on the council in the late 1980s; Brian Faria, who defeated incumbent Tim Conley for the Ward 4 seat; and Anna Sousa, who topped long-time city pol Bruce Rogers for the Ward 2 seat.

First elected in 2012 from Ward 1 and seated as council president for that term, Mr. Briden did not seek re-election in 2014. He threw his hat in the ring for the At-Large seat earlier this calendar year when the sitting representative for all the city, Tracy Capobianco, announced she would not be seeking what would have been a third term in office. He won the position, running unopposed.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Briden noted this council must contend with the "significant capital investment needs of our school buildings, the possible synchronization of our tax year (with that of the state) and the ever-expanding costs" of operating municipal government.

The new council will oversee contract negotiations with all of the city's employee unions in 2017 as well as face the likely necessity of having to raise property taxes at a substantial rate in the coming years.

He noted the waterfront district is the "blueprint for future economic development" in the city, while congratulating the just-departed council for its approval last week of the new shoreline amphitheater at Bold Point Park.

"It's truly an exciting point and time in the City of East Providence," Mr. Briden said.

In conclusion, he added, "Going forward we must continue to work hard to promote a vision of the city as a wonderful place to buy a home, raise a family and own a business."

Mr. Briden's successor from Ward 1, Mr. Britto, was selected as the new council vice president/assistant mayor by the same unanimous vote.

The most newsworthy of the many appointments made by the council during the session was that of Greg Dias, previously the assistant, as the new city solicitor. Mr. Dias takes over the position from Tim Chapman, who, for the moment at least, remains as acting city manager. Mr. Dias was approved on a 4-1 vote, Ms. Sousa casting the dissenting tally.

Asked after the ceremony about the near-future status of Mr. Chapman as acting manager, Mr. Briden declined to comment, referring to it as a personnel matter the entire council must determine.

The council also approved two new assistant solicitors, one position obviously left vacant by Mr. Dias' ascension. Margaret Lynch, a scion of the noted Pawtucket political family, was approved on 5-0 vote while Dylan Conley, the son of former solicitor, councilor and current state senator Bill Conley, was approved by a 3-2 margin, Mr. Faria and Ms. Sousa declining to support.

In each instance of dissent, the two new councilors expressed reservations about the process, noting the lack of formal interviews among others reasons for their respective votes.

Of note as well, like Mr. Chapman, former assistant solicitor Bob Craven, who is also a state representative from North Kingstown and the chairman of the House Municipal Government Committee, was not re-appointed to his position.

The remaining appointments approved Monday were as follows: Kim Casci as city clerk; George Furtado as municipal court judge; Christine Eugustian as probate court judge; Anthony Isadore and John Mederios as city sergeants; Joe Connors as municipal court bailiff; and Bruce Dufresne as harbor master.

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.