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Newport council removes ban on aldermen serving on utilities board after debate over late audits and potential penalties
Summary
After extended debate about late audits and potential state penalties, the Newport Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 3–2 to amend charter language that had barred council members from serving on the Newport Utilities board; council members and residents urged more transparency from the utility.
Newport — The Newport Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to amend charter language on Feb. 10, 2026, removing a sentence that had prohibited members of the board of mayor and aldermen from serving on the Newport Utilities board. The motion passed 3–2 after more than an hour of discussion about audit timing, accountability and public communications.
City Administrator James Finchem framed the proposed change as a narrow correction to the document drafted by the Municipal Technical Advisory Service and emphasized the timing: this is an amended first reading, not a final vote. He told the council the charter must next go through the private‑act…
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