This is Councilman Gebhart’s own letter, published in the Warwick Beacon, about the Cedar Hill Elementary PTO’s Fun Run fundraiser and a call for residents to reach out to their local elementary school and ask how they can help. To the Editor, People are expressing concern that divisiveness is dramatically increasing in our country. Over the next several months I’d …
Continue readingAfter a lengthy, well-attended hearing, the Council voted 7-2 to approve a three-year firefighters’ contract carrying roughly 13% in raises and other costs projected near an extra $1 million a year, avoiding a costlier arbitration process. In closing remarks, Councilman Gebhart pushed back on colleagues’ warnings about long-term financial risk, arguing the contract was designed for predictability and that steady, …
Continue readingWith the new Toll Gate and Pilgrim High Schools facing a budget shortfall that puts planned athletic fields at risk, Councilman Gebhart is one of three members — alongside Councilman Bryan Nappa and Mayor Picozzi — of the newly formed Warwick Recreational Advisory Committee exploring whether a rebuilt Mickey Stevens Sports Complex could help fill the gap. He described the …
Continue readingThe Council voted 7-2 to approve Mayor Picozzi’s $393 million FY27 budget, holding the tax levy increase at 3.86% — just under the state’s 4% cap. During debate over a colleague’s proposed cuts to try to lower that increase further, Councilman Gebhart argued for a steadier approach: plan conservatively and avoid setting the city up for another deficit. He also …
Continue readingFacing a nearly $18 million bond payment crunch tied to the new high schools, the Council voted 7-2 to let the city temporarily reduce contributions to its retiree benefits (OPEB) trust until state school-construction reimbursement kicks in — without touching pensions. Councilman Gebhart proposed an amendment setting a four-year cap on how long the city would have to repay any …
Continue readingOn Monday, June 6, the Warwick City Council — led by a small group of members — advanced a resolution to the General Assembly opposing / seeking to amend the proposed Assault Weapons Ban. Our community is deeply divided on this issue, and the Rhode Island State Legislature is the appropriate venue for such a complex and important debate. Local …
Continue readingAs the Council took up whether to release $350 million in voter-approved bond funding for new Toll Gate and Pilgrim High Schools, Councilman Gebhart framed the choice for his colleagues as one between fear and faith — fear of rising costs versus faith in a plan the voters had already approved. He argued that the cost of doing nothing would …
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Disclaimer — These are my notes / ruminations on attending the public meeting held by the School Committee on 8/21/2024. Some of the points are facts reported, some are opinion, and all of it may change over time. I attended the school forum this week at Vets. Very informative. What is immediately apparent is that the teams working on these …
Continue readingThis Warwick Beacon feature ran candidate questionnaires ahead of the 2022 election, and includes Councilman Gebhart’s full self-introduction and answers on the school bond, term limits, ARPA ward funding priorities, grading Mayor Picozzi’s first term, and retiree health care reform — his own words, on the record, on several of the defining issues of that term. Source: Warwick Beacon
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