Brad Bishop Questionnaire Responses

1. Why are you running?

I want to continue to serve the town, having been on the Planning Board for as many terms as were allowed. To me it’s an honor to be selected by my fellow citizens to act on their behalf and to volunteer my time to ensure the town continues to be well managed.

2. What are the three most important issues facing the Town of East Greenwich and how would you address each?

Maintaining strong fiscal discipline is issue number 1. We need to make sure we are spending our tax dollars wisely, and that means dedicating the time needed for proper oversight of spending and the budget. We need to look for areas where we can spend more efficiently and that includes consolidating efforts across departments in the town, with the schools and fire district and even with other nearby municipalities.

Issue number 2 is to make sure we are supporting our local businesses. This means eliminating regulations and fees that are not sensible; doing what we can to promote activities that support our merchants such as the Main Street strolls; and making it easy for businesses and organizations to do business with East Greenwich.  Maintaining a vibrant local economy is good for jobs and can ultimately lower the residential tax burden.

Issue number 3 is managing the growth of the town, which is why implementing the Comprehensive Plan is so important. We need to be proactive in directing where and how the town grows, and the most recent update of the Comprehensive Plan is an excellent long term strategic view of where we should put our priorities. As the former Chairman of the Planning Board I can bring insight to the Town Council as we proceed with the plan’s recommendations.

3. Do you think the EG Fire District should be merged with the Town, even if it involves a “hostile takeover”?

Yes. There is no good reason to maintain two independent entities and there will be no threat to life safety if we bring the fire department into the town. Cities and towns across the country run this way and there is simply no need for all these separate governmental entities. But I see no reason why this should be “hostile” – I believe consolidation is the will of the people.

4a. Is there any part of town government spending that should be reduced?

I don’t think there is any spending which is out of control. But consistently holding everything to a standard of smart, efficient spending will help us reduce where we can, and even a bunch of small savings will add up to a meaningful amount.

4b. Is there any part of government that should not be cut?

There shouldn’t be any part of government that is protected or off limits from scrutiny. But if you want a town of the quality of East Greenwich – and I think this is a very well run town – you need to spend money.

4c. Is there anything that should be expanded?

I think we need to look at the police department and make sure they have the resources to deal with serious threats to the town and schools, most notably drugs.

We need to keep investing in the capital spending side of the budget, especially roads and infrastructure, or we are going to face much more costly repairs and spending down the line.

5. Beyond the town’s financial agreement with New England Tech, in what ways should the town seek to benefit from the school’s presence?

There are training opportunities for town staff and residents. Once their fields and athletic facilities are built out we should be able to work out a cooperative arrangement for residents to use them at times. And I think we should look for ways to encourage New England Tech students to patronize East Greenwich merchants.

6a. Should the Financial Town Meeting be abolished?
 
Yes. It’s time to do away with the Financial Town meeting, which is an expense that serves almost no purpose with so few people attending. Let’s instead invest that money in broadcasting all the town’s meetings and make government transparent year round.

6b. What ideas do you have to better engage people in town government?

I think our meetings should be made more approachable, with more information about what is going to be discussed presented in advance and at each meeting. I think meetings should be broadcast on local TV or through the internet. And we MUST do something about the awful sound system in the Council Chamber. Having sat in the audience hundreds of times I can tell you that it’s frustrating to be unable to hear or understand what is being said most of the time.

7. In 100 words or fewer, explain why people should vote for you.

I’ve dedicated myself to serving the town since we first moved to East Greenwich, most recently as Chairman of the Planning Board. I would be honored to know that by voting for me residents think I have done and will continue to do a good job representing them.

A key responsibility of the Council is to set a strategic vision for how the town should evolve and the Comprehensive Plan which the Planning Board and the town’s staff have created is an important piece of that.

East Greenwich is blessed with fantastic natural, cultural and economic resources and I want to protect and preserve them by ensuring we are making smart choices and investing in the areas most important to the town. If elected I will continue to dedicate my time and experience to working towards that goal!