To the Editor:
This is not my usual letter, but I’m writing to implore Newport voters to take a hard look at the upcoming election for Newport City Council.
I strongly urge you to vote against two of the current Councilors-At-Large: Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong and his sidekick, Mark Aramli. These two were the chief architects behind the disastrous selection of our new City Manager. They blatantly disregarded the City Charter’s requirement that the candidate ‘must have five years of municipal experience,’ opting instead for someone who lacks any such qualifications. In their arrogance, Councilors Khamsyvoravong and Aramli personally conducted the interviews and negotiated the contract, giving their chosen City Manager a staggering $35,000 pay increase over his predecessor — who had more than three decades of experience in the role.
What did we get for this extra cost? A candidate with no experience in municipal management. This so-called City Manager retired from the Navy as a Commander — far below the rank of Captain or Admiral that many Naval Academy graduates achieve. His last job? Working as a travel agent for the Navy Reserve, booking plane tickets. Is this the person you want in charge of running Newport?
It gets worse. This unqualified City Manager has now posted a job opening for a Deputy City Manager, with an obscene salary range of $150,000 to $200,000 per year, specifying that the candidate ‘must have five years of municipal experience.’ In other words, he’s looking for someone to do the job he’s incapable of doing. Once this bloated salary is added to the City Manager’s already exorbitant pay, we’re looking at an annual cost of over $400,000, not including benefits. The previous City Manager, who was far more competent, was paid just $185,000. Yet neither Councilors Xay Khamsyvoravong nor Mark Aramli have offered a single word of explanation or defense. They continue to parade themselves as political and financial experts, but this is nothing short of fiscal recklessness and gross incompetence.
It’s time to hold these two accountable for their negligence and hubris. I urge Newport voters to remove them from office on November 5th.
Jack Milburn
Newport, RI
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