Next week, Tuesday, Nov. 3, the 2026 general election takes place. The campaigning and sloganeering is just about done. It's come the time for the candidates to make their final case to the electorate and voters to decide for whom they will cast their lots.

Over the last several issues, The Times-Gazette has engaged with the five residents running for the three available positions on the Warren Town Council this cycle — Daniel Barlow, James Core, Scott Lial, Bert Rodrigues and Rebecca Schmaeling — with what have hopefully been thought-provoking questions and revealing answers about the key issues facing Warren over the next four years.

Each of the candidates have provided their responses, which have given our readers, and their opposition actually, some insights into how they would serve as the town's lead legislators.

As election day nears, we offered the candidates one final opportunity to state their respective arguments as to why they deserve your vote. The final inquiry in the series was as follows:

Why should voters select you to be one of the five most important stewards of the town's governance over the next four years?

Daniel Barlow: I’m a first-time candidate, but I bring analytical skills from a career in the intelligence community, where I learned to take on complex problems, weigh hard tradeoffs, and make decisions when the stakes are high. Warren’s Town Council needs new faces and fresh ideas, and I will bring my ideas to build on the great work of our previous councils and committees.

Warren faces real budget challenges in the coming years. I have new ideas and a dream for our future, and some of my recommendations for improving revenue are already moving forward. We have more tools than simply raising property taxes, although in the short term an increase may be unavoidable. Knowing how this affects Warren families, I will review every expenditure and revenue source before approving it, and I will work with fellow Councilors, the Budget Committee, and the Town Manager on sustainable, long-term solutions.

I want a thriving Warren where my two daughters, and the next generation, can afford to live and work if they choose. My top priority is implementing the Comprehensive Plan our Planning and Zoning Boards worked hard to complete. Careful planning and up-zoning along Metacom Avenue can bring more housing and more businesses at once, growing our tax base, easing the burden on existing residents, reducing pressure on downtown, and preserving our green spaces and industrial areas.

Warren is a special place with unique resources, like our working waterfront, great schools and thriving manufacturing base. We should leverage these resources to attract new businesses and the workforce to sustain them. I will work with everyone to grow our economy responsibly, evaluating every proposal for its impact on our schools, public safety, and public works so we don’t overstretch.

Finally, I’m ready to listen and learn. Your priorities should guide my work.

James Core: I’m grateful for the privilege and gift of living in this remarkable community. If elected, my guiding principle every day will be to faithfully honor the trust placed in me by the community while doing everything I can to advance Warren’s long-term interests. Notably, I’m the best equipped candidate to address budget issues after serving for the last two years on the Budget Committee. I’m ready on Day One to address current financial challenges while improving policy and town planning needed to support long term goals.

Decades of budgeting and program management experience equip me well to help improve transparency and delivery of services through better budgeting, goal setting for town departments, and reporting results to citizens. I look forward to implementing this with the Council and the Town Manager. Further, voters can select me knowing that I will pursue the steps I have described in this newspaper over the last several weeks to make Warren an even better place to live, learn, work, and thrive.

My main priority is to pursue a better future for our neighbors by improving town finances and operations despite a challenging fiscal and demographic environment. Those challenges make it even more important to try innovative ideas – and new combinations of old ideas – for serving the community while minimizing tax increases. I believe in a collaborative process to set priorities and pursue solutions that protect the town’s character while continuing to improve. Cooperation among citizens, the business community, town leaders and staff, non-profits, and state and federal partners remain essential. I look forward to being part of that collaboration and working with the members of the next Council who will each bring their talent and focus to the shared goals of improving livability of this lovely town.

Scott Lial: As I have indicated in both my responses to the Warren Times and at the public forum hosted by East Bay Media Group and the League of Women Voters, Warren is facing unprecedented times regarding its current and future financial stability. While the service of new people with fresh ideas and vision are always welcome and needed to propel towns like Warren forward, challenging times like these also call for experience and leadership. My service to the town in three previous council terms came with very similar obstacles and financial hurdles. Having gone through this once before I fully understand the impending burden we face and the steps that need to be taken to overcome it.

We must stabilize and strategize our debt service payment. Much of the burden here stems from unfunded mandates or unforeseen expenditures, but regardless of the provenance the financial liability still exists. As debt service is paid our financial health improves. Near term years may look leaner and with fewer improvement plans or projects. That said, we also can’t abandon all municipal improvement. That short term approach will lead to long term failures and degradation that will ultimately cost us more. We instead must prioritize and focus our energy and money where it is needed most.

There will inevitably be increases to the tax levy. This is an unavoidable reality that we must face. Telling you that in no uncertain terms is important. Indicating otherwise would be untruthful. As an experienced council member I don’t assume what this responsibility entails. I know it. I have been there. Increasing taxes is as significant an action as any Council member will ever take and one that I do not take lightly. The residents of Warren can rest assured that I will never lose sight of this fact.

Bert Rodrigues: I’m asking for your vote because I care deeply about Warren and the people who call it home. My priorities are straightforward: keep Warren affordable, protect the quality of our schools and public safety services, make common sense decisions about development, and address the roads, sidewalks, and other basic infrastructure residents rely on every day. I believe Warren can grow while still preserving the character and sense of community that make it special.

I would bring more than 20 years of public service experience, 26 years of experience helping my family run a small business, and service on Warren’s Zoning Board of Review. Those experiences have taught me to listen carefully, ask tough questions, manage responsibilities thoughtfully, and understand how decisions affect people’s daily lives.

Walking through town and talking with residents, I’ve heard concerns about taxes, development, and roads and sidewalks that need attention. These are not abstract issues. They affect household budgets, neighborhood character, safety, and Warren’s future. They deserve consistent attention and practical leadership from the council.

I won’t promise that every decision will be easy or that taxes will never increase. I will review the budget carefully, question expenses, look for savings and other sources of funding, and make sure residents receive clear explanations before being asked to pay more. I’ll support our schools and public safety services while remaining mindful of what families and small businesses can afford.

As an Independent, I’ll make decisions based on what I believe serves Warren best not on party politics or outside pressure. I’ll be accessible, return your calls, listen even when we disagree, and explain my votes honestly.

Voters should support me because I will bring experience, independence, and a practical focus on the issues that matter most: affordability, responsible growth, strong services, and a Warren that remains a good place to live, work, and raise a family.

Rebecca Schmaeling: I am always wary of candidates who proclaim that they alone can solve all problems. So, I will not promise that as a town councilor, I will have all the answers.

What I can promise is that I will take my role as a steward of this town incredibly seriously. I will be proactive in my learning and listening. I will treat every person who comes in front of the council with dignity and respect. I will make data-informed decisions and be willing to think outside the box. And I will do everything in my power to ensure that Warren is a better place to live, work, and visit when my term is up.

We have challenges ahead, and I don’t take these lightly. But there is also so much kindness, community, and generosity in Warren. I hope to spend the next four years working alongside my fellow councilors and town employees to uplift everything that makes this place so special.

Thank you for taking the time to read about the candidates these past months. I hope to continue the conversation as your councilor.