Bonnita B. (Bonnie) Van Slyke ​— Charlestown Town Council Candidate

Bonnita B. (Bonnie) Van Slyke is running for Charlestown Town Council. She took the time to answer some questions from us. Here's what he had to say.

Age: 79

Position sought: Member of the Charlestown Town Council

Party affiliation: Independent

Family: My husband and I live full time in Charlestown.

Education: BA, Economics, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA

Occupation: Freelance copy editor, technical writer, and publications specialist

Previous or Current Elected Office: Member of the Charlestown Town Council from 2014 through
2022

Campaign Website: charlestowncitizens.org/election

Why are you seeking elected office? To bring a much-needed balance to the Town Council where
everyone is now part of the same political group

The single most-pressing issue facing our town is and what do you intend to do about it: That
issue is protecting the quality of our groundwater — the sole source of our drinking water,
essential for the continued health of our fresh and saltwater ponds which support our
economy, and one reason that our tax rate is one of the lowest in Rhode Island and our
quality of life high. I will stand up for wise stewardship of our natural resources
based on scientific evidence.

What are the critical differences between you and other candidates seeking this post? I will bring
a much-needed balance to the Town Council where the current members of the Council and
those running to fill this seat are part of the same political group.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

• Open and accountable leadership and healthy debate are critical in our representative
• government.
• Sound fiscal management is the basis of our stable, relatively low tax rate.
• Local control over land use means our residents, who know the town best, will decide where and how development proceeds rather than one-size-fits-all mandates that threaten our natural resources and ultimately our tax rate.
• Wise stewardship of our natural resources that is based on scientific evidence supports
• our high quality of life and our local economy.

The best advice ever shared with me: My father, George Bliven, who was instrumental in
defeating the nuclear power plant planned for the former Navy base and then led the long
effort to create Ninigret Park often counseled, “When one person picks up the ball and moves
it down the field, then someone else can pick it up, and, ultimately, great things can be
accomplished.”

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions? I have been
extremely grateful for the trust that voters have placed in me by electing me four times to the
Town Council. I cherish the rural character of our town—a town I have known all my life. I love the dark skies above Charlestown that give our kids the opportunity to discover the wonder of the universe above. As many, I take joy in the wildlife that make their home in our forests and fields, and I take very seriously our town’s responsibility to preserve the wildlife management corridor that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to northern Charlestown and then through the western edge of Rhode Island and into Massachusetts and beyond.