Residents and task force members raised governance and accountability reforms after task force presentations on Newport’s fiscal problems.
Karen Garrity, a Newport resident, said the city’s system “does a poor job of preparing our leaders to do the job that they are elected to do,” and asked the council to develop training and structural supports so future elected officials are better equipped to oversee municipal budgets.
Several residents and task force members proposed a formal charter review and a standing or appointed city manager position. A resident speaker offered to help assemble a commission to reconcile inconsistencies between the charter and state statutes, explaining those conflicts have complicated decision making. Mayor Rick Uppercase said charter revision and clearer role definitions for the city manager and council would be part of future work but emphasized the council’s current priority is stabilizing finances.
Residents asked for safeguards so similar accounting and oversight failures do not recur; leaders said immediate steps include contracting NEMRC for ongoing consultancy, redesigning the chart of accounts, improving monthly financial reporting and involving the Vermont League of Cities and Towns for budgeting guidance. The council also said it will recruit and onboard a finance and office administrator (start date proposed Aug. 25) before launching a broader search for a city manager once short‑term fiscal stability is achieved.
Speakers said naming individual culpability was less important at the forum than fixing structural problems and that the council should be transparent with timeline and remedies so voters can evaluate candidates and policies in future elections.