![[CREDIT: City of Warwick] A detail map of Warwick's Ward 2. On Nov. 5, incumbent Democratic Councilman Jeremy Rix will contest with Republican challenger Bill Paola for the seat in the Ward 2 race.](https://warwickpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Warwick-Ward-2-detail-map.jpg)
WARWICK, RI — The 2024 Ward 2 race features Republican Bill Paola challenging incumbent Councilor Jeremy Rix for the seat Nov. 5.
Ward 2 Councilors: A brief history
The challenge marks Rix’s first general election contest since winning office in 2016, when he earned 70 percent of the vote against Republican John Silvaggio with 2,760 votes to Silvaggio’s 1,149.
Prior to 2016, Ward 2 had been represented by Thomas Chadronet, who had held the office since winning the general election unopposed in 2012.
Paola Aims to Take Charge in Ward 2 Race
![[CREDIT: Bill Paola] John "Bill" Paola, a lifelong Warwick resident, is running against incumbent Jeremy Rix Nov. 5 in the Ward 2 race for Warwick City Council.](https://warwickpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Bill-Paola-Ward-7-2024-250x228.jpeg)
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Paola was involved with the Holliman PTO while he and his wife raised their children. He was named Volunteer of Warwick Schools (VOWS) Gentleman of the Year 1994, coached Apponaug Girls Softball 10 years, served on the Board of Directors and was also the Field Director.
Paola: A challenge for Rix & Fairfax Action
First, Paola said, he’s running in the Ward 2 race to break Rix’s 6 year streak without an election challenger. Second, the Fairfax Drive resident, who lives across from Pilgrim High School, says he’s frustrated with Rix’s efforts to improve safety on the street using signs and adding sidewalks. Also, Paola expressed frustration with Rix’s decision making on using $200,000 in ARPA funds Mayor Frank Picozzi allotted each ward.
“Fairfax Drive is a “No Thru Trucking” road from Post Road with  poorly marked signage. It is also a major cut through going from Warwick Ave to Post Rd and visa versa. It is also a major pathway for the high school students to walk to school from the Post Rd areas besides Pilgrim Parkway from the Warwick Ave areas. Fairfax has no side walks and is a very busy narrow two lane road,” Paola wrote about his interest in the Ward 2 Council seat.
In 2022, Paola said he emailed Rix pictures and video detailing digital speed signs, noting his interest in getting them on Fairfax Drive to slow down drivers. In June 2024 Rix distributed a survey to Ward 2 homes and on Facebook to vote on “How to spend the money,’ he said.
“A public safety concern now was in the hands of responders to his survey rather than making a crucial one on his own. He has over the years emailed city officials about no trucks, but that’s about the extent of it,” Paola said.
Paola touts active role seeking Fairfax Ave. solutions
For his part, Paola said he’s spoken about the issue at the recent new high schools public presentation to Dimeo Construction, the Construction Manager, and Chris Spiegel of LeftField, the Senior Project Manager, that he wanted to be proactive and inform them that all commercial trucks making deliveries or construction equipment being brought in all need to use Warwick Ave to Pilgrim Parkway and not Fairfax Drive off Post Road and that they must be sure there’s a process notifying vendors all deliveries it’s off limits and a No Thru Trucking road. He said he also spoke about it with Warwick School Committee Chairman Shaun Galligan, and has called RIDOT about adding a “No Thru Truck” sign between the traffic signals hanging over Post Rd at the Fairfax and Post Rd intersection, so trucks going in either direction will see the warning.
“I also proposed to the School Committee they use part of the contingency building fund to build sidewalks on one side of Fairfax. I got a knowledgeable estimate for sidewalks @ 6/10s of a mile, 38 houses, at about $875,000.”
Paola said painted crosswalks are also needed on Fairfax at each road that intersects with the road.
Ward 2 Race: Rix Aims For Sound Fiscal Choices as Costs Mount
![[CREDIT: Jeremy Rix] Jeremy Rix, who has lived in Warwick since preschool, is running for reelection in the Ward 2 race for the Warwick City Council.](https://warwickpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ward-7-race-Jeremy-Rix-250x228.jpg)
He said if he wins the Ward 2 race, he’ll continue to push for smart ways to deal with rising costs and dwindling resources on the horizon.
Rix: Smart choices needed as costs collectÂ
“I’m here to represent the people in Norwood, Lakewood, and Pilgrim, not sugarcoat a tough financial situation. We’re coming up on a fiscal cliff in the next few years as we begin to pay for the new high school bond, certain long-term obligations catch up to us, and as payroll and other operating expenses continue to increase, all at the same time that one-time funds that the City over-relied upon to fund operating costs are running dry. The City Council has limited power to change the course we’re on, but, if I am re-elected, I will be doing my best to help us get through this situation without more painful cuts to services or tax increases than necessary,” Rix said.
Rix said the city has to avoid continually kicking the can down the road when it comes to infrastructure and other long-term obligations. “I consistently vote to increase funding in our operating budget to pave the roads even if that means having to raise taxes instead of a 0% tax increase. I voted against abandoning the [Other Post-Employment Beneffits (OPEB)] “40 year plan” that we were only about a dozen years away from completing [in favor of pay-as-you-go.  Switching to “pay-as-you-go” “saves” a few million dollars each year for the next decade, but, costs us far more, as we would still be paying millions of dollars per year into the 2060s, instead of being fully funded by around 2037,” he said.
He said he’s also voted for contracts with the City’s unions that make significant steps toward addressing long-term liabilities, and voted against contracts that don’t. “If the City doesn’t have the ability to fund all of its commitments, everyone loses,” Rix said.
Similarly, he said, when the Council majority approved a city employee Juneteenth holiday, “I voted against giving away an additional paid holiday to city employees at a cost of over $200k/year outside of the collective bargaining process. I believe in collective bargaining, and that’s a two-way street: The City can’t afford to keep giving away additional money or benefits without negotiating. These issues won’t win me any popularity contests; it’s a matter of doing what’s right instead of what’s easy,” he said.
Finally, Rix said he has defended fair treatment under the Warwick City Charter. “I was the only Democrat to stand up for the Republican Party’s rights as a minority party under Warwick’s City Charter to nominate a member to the Zoning Board. It’s a matter of fairness and upholding the Charter,” Rix said.
Rix addresses Paola’s Criticisms in Ward 2 Race
 No Thru Trucking Sign: “After Mr. Paola sent me a request for the No Thru Trucking sign requested the sign to be moved closer to the intersection on 7/20/2018 and, after following up on 8/3/2018 and 8/22/2018, the sign was moved closer to Post Road around September 2018.
Mr. Paola then also requested for custom signage by the intersection. I agree that that would be helpful. I made written requests and follow-ups for that on 10/8/2018, 5/1/2019, 6/28/2019, 9/5/2019, 9/16/2019, 10/1/2019, 6/27/2022, 6/28/2022, 5/11/2023, 11/3/2023, 6/26/2024, and 7/1/2024. I keep all of the emails.
Despite sending literally a dozen written requests, on top of phone calls and bringing it up in person to multiple DPW Directors and Mayors, the City Council cannot force the Administration to create and place a custom sign. We have separation of powers: A City Councilor can’t march down to the DPW sign shop and tell them what to do. I am going to continue to request that custom sign, but, I do not control the City Administration.
Despite sending literally a dozen written requests, on top of phone calls and bringing it up in person to multiple DPW Directors and Mayors, the City Council cannot force the Administration to create and place a custom sign. We have separation of powers: A City Councilor can’t march down to the DPW sign shop and tell them what to do. I am going to continue to request that custom sign, but, I do not control the City Administration.
Ultimately, traffic enforcement is going to be more effective than a second sign. That’s why, in May 2024 for the current Fiscal Year, I supported (and the City Council approved) doubling funding for the NITE Program from $45k to $90k. The NITE Program funds additional overtime pay for traffic enforcement on residential streets selected by the City Councilor. I’ve had two intersections on Fairfax Drive on my list for all 8 years that I’ve been on the City Council out of 19 total locations across Ward 2 where that additional traffic enforcement is helpful.
Sidewalks: I’d love to have sidewalks along Fairfax Drive! I walked to and from Pilgrim HS in 9th and 10th grades and I can appreciate how a sidewalk would be an improvement for people of all ages. It seems strange to me that Pilgrim HS was built over 60 years ago without a sidewalk connecting to Post Road, and, I will continue to advocate for the sidewalk to finally be built in time for the new Pilgrim High School.
With my Ward 2 Survey showing 42% support for those sidewalks, I think that we can build on that momentum to finally get this done.
Of course, it’s just as important to maintain the sidewalks we do have. Sidewalks across Warwick are crumbling or even being removed by homeowners, in part because homeowners do not currently receive any financial support from the City to repair damage. That’s why I docketed a new Ordinance, modeled on a program that Cranston started a couple of years ago, to have the City contribute to sidewalk repair and replacement.”
ARPA: “We rarely have $200,000 for neighborhood improvements with any flexibility. Different City Councilors took different approaches on how to spend the $200,000 in federal ARPA funds that Mayor Picozzi set aside for each Ward. We all took the same first and final steps: We start by receiving public comment through the City web site and directly from neighbors, and, finish with sending a request to the City so that the City can receive bids that would be voted on by the full City Council. But, there are many more good ideas than money to fund them, so, how do we pick between all of those ideas?
The process matters. Instead of jumping to “what” idea we should pick, I asked “who” should decide and “how” to make the choice. The best way to decide on neighborhood improvements is to ask the neighborhoods.
After receiving dozens of ideas, I held two public workshops in November and December 2023 where we fleshed out ideas and built consensus for a threshold of how to divide money across Norwood, Lakewood, and Pilgrim in a fair way. Then, I researched and requested estimates for all of the ARPA-eligible ideas that were feasible for Ward 2. After the public workshops, receiving estimates, and initially drafting the survey, I reached out to over a dozen people who live across Ward 2 and listened to their feedback.
With help from volunteers, we distributed the survey in June and July to every knockable door in Ward 2 (over 3,000 doors!) and mailed out hundreds more to apartments in Ward 2. I planned to distribute the survey in April and May, but, had to adjust the plans due to my father’s sudden passing and as there were complications involving 8 days in the hospital when my wife gave birth to our daughter, Emilia.
We received almost 350 responses to the Survey and the money is being spent consistent with those results. Over $50,000 was approved by the City Council in August, and, the rest will be voted on soon, as the bids come in. We know that each of these ideas have neighborhood support because, after every household had a survey sent to them with options to respond online or by mail or dropoff, these are the most popular ideas that were within budget.”
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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