The Newport City Council will meet in executive session Wednesday at 5:30 PM to discuss the fate of City Manager Colin Kennedy, whose seven-month tenure has been defined by blunders, missteps, and outright insubordination. The outcome of this meeting could determine whether Newport continues down a path of bureaucratic chaos or takes the decisive step of removing a failed leader from power.
In a highly unusual and dramatic move, Councilor David Carlin called for an executive session at the city council meeting on February 12 to evaluate Kennedy’s dismal job performance—and potentially terminate his contract. To oust Kennedy, four councilors must vote in favor of his removal. If Newport’s leadership has any commitment to good governance, they should do just that.
The public has been clear: Colin Kennedy is unfit for the role. His prior experience—managing a modest travel office for the Naval Reserves at the Newport Naval Base, overseeing just 20 employees and a meager $325,000 budget—was woefully inadequate preparation for running Newport’s sprawling $115 million municipal budget and its 350 full-time employees. For context, Kennedy’s previous budget was less than one-third of one percent of Newport’s. Put another way, he controlled fewer funds than the annual parking revenue generated at Easton’s Beach. That should have been a glaring red flag from the start.
Predictably, Kennedy’s lack of qualifications has manifested in abysmal leadership. Newport City Hall is drowning in low morale, a bloated budget, and administrative incompetence at an unprecedented level. One would be hard-pressed to find another city manager in Newport’s history who has so quickly amassed such an astonishing record of failures and controversies. The case for his removal is overwhelming.
Colin Kennedy’s Greatest Failures:
- Broke Election Law – Used taxpayer money to advocate for a ballot measure, a direct violation of Rhode Island election law.
- Unilateral Traffic Decisions – Installed stop signs at Third Street and Sycamore without council approval, justifying it as an “emergency” without evidence of accidents.
- Speed Camera Debacle – Approved and installed an unauthorized speed camera on Ruggles Avenue without council input, wasting $90,000 in taxpayer money.
- Illegal Speed Camera Placement – Placed the speed camera outside of a designated school zone, violating state law.
- Backroom Dealings – Renewed the lucrative Easton’s Beach concession contract with Audrain Hospitality without seeking council approval.
- Fiscal Mismanagement – Pushed a costly sewer rate increase and botched the rollout of a new water billing system, causing financial headaches for Newport residents.
- Bloated Bureaucracy – Despite adding over $500,000 in new executive staff salaries and benefits within just seven months to compensate for his own managerial shortcomings—tasks his predecessor handled alone—he has still failed.
- Infrastructure Failures – Promised to secure truck detours and weight restrictions on Admiral Kalbfus but delivered nothing.
- Attacked Press Freedoms – Violated the First Amendment rights of the local press, prompting intervention from the ACLU.
- Environmental Negligence – Ignored residents’ warnings about unpermitted dumping near Easton’s Pond, turning a blind eye to a major community concern.
- Overpaid and Underqualified – Commands a staggering $225,000 annual salary, a full $40,000 more than his predecessor, who had more than 30 years of municipal experience and a law degree.
Kennedy’s tenure is not merely an embarrassment; it is a financial and administrative disaster. The role of city manager demands expertise, transparency, and competence—qualities that Kennedy has repeatedly failed to demonstrate. His continued employment is an insult to the taxpayers of Newport, who deserve leadership that works for them, not against them.
Wednesday’s meeting is an inflection point. Will the Newport City Council hold Kennedy accountable and restore integrity to city governance, or will they allow this farcical tenure to continue? The choice is clear. It’s time to send Colin Kennedy packing and bring in a city manager who is actually up to the job.
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