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Residents press council to appoint top vote-getter as council president; others cite charter procedure
Summary
Dozens of residents used the public-comment period to urge the Town Council to elect Deb Bergner as council president because she received the most votes; other speakers and council members explained the charter gives the council authority to elect its president and noted historical practice varies.
A sustained public-comment session Wednesday drew strong citizen interest in who the Town Council will select as its next council president.
Several speakers, including Alex Thompson and Charles Hall, urged council members to "honor the will of the voters" and to elect Deb Bergner, who the speakers said received the highest vote total in the 2024 results. Thompson read a letter urging the council to "honor the will of the voters" and argued that passing over the top vote-getter creates optics of favoritism.
Other residents and council observers, including Abel Collins, Jack Cadman and Maa Sheetsi, urged the council to follow the charter process instead of a popular-vote convention. Collins and others explained that the council president is selected by a vote among the five elected members and that historical practice does not automatically confer the presidency to the top vote-earner. Speakers debated whether a town tradition exists and whether political endorsements by the South Kingstown Democratic Town Committee influenced outcomes.
Deb Bergner addressed the chamber, saying the council should "turn the page" and foster a more inclusive tone, and thanked residents for participating. Councilors and several long-time residents recounted past instances where the top vote-getter did not become president and emphasized that the charter grants the newly seated council members the authority to choose their leader. Several residents described organizing petitions and social-media campaigns to press for the top vote-getter tradition; others said such campaigns should not override council discretion.
The exchange concluded without a formal action on the floor; council members said the selection will occur in the internal organizing meeting among the five elected members.
