Newport Election Profile: Angela McCalla

NEWPORT, RI — Angela McCalla is running for a seat on the Newport City Council. The 39-year-old currently serves as a councilor for the First Ward.

McCalla lives with her wife, Allyson, and has a 19-year-old son, Ezra. She holds bachelor's degrees in psychology and chemical dependency/addiction studies from Rhode Island College, as well as a master's degree in business administration with a concentration in finance. McCalla works as a foster care recruiter and trainer.

Campaign website: angelamcccalla.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I want to continue the work I have started during my first term as a Newport City Councilor

What do you believe should be done to contain the coronavirus pandemic, and what would you do to lessen its economic impacts?

We have to be doing our due diligence with staying up to date with the information related to coronavirus. This means making sure we are making good choices for the community by using the data provided to help us navigate through this crisis. The priority is to continue to flatten the curve. We should also continue communications with the city to provide our residents with safe practices.

It is hard to determine what our economy will look like in the future but I believe investing in shovel-ready projects are a key that will help to jump start our economy. One specific investment that I strongly support the rebuilding of our public schools. Having good public schools helps to transform the way teaching and learning will take place and ensure state of the art educational facilities. Having a strong public school system drives property value and will also bring in much needed to jobs to those who are out of work.

We have also learned during this pandemic that we need to prioritize diversifying our economic portfolio for the city. We need higher paying wages for families to be able to live here.

Do you believe systemic racism is a problem in America generally and Rhode Island specifically, and if so, what would you do to combat it?

As a country, we are still dealing with systematic racism that is built into all aspects of our environment. We see this through health, land use, housing, and jobs. We cannot talk about the American dream unless we talk about equity: the understanding that race has made our country imbalanced; that all people do not have the same start
I think that we have to first start by educating ourselves about our actions in order to weed out biases that are both intentional and unintentional. I also believe that all economic development initiatives must be considered in the prism of how it will affect our residents and our neighborhoods before we allow any new projects.

Should the words "Providence Plantations" be removed from the state's name?

Yes

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am the only women of color that has served on the city council in over 50 years. I am also the first LGBTQIA female representative to the council. I think my unique perspective gives the city, council, and other residents a different way to solve problems and come to a new understanding about issues that affect our community.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

My vision for the City has three elements. First, the City must put the needs of its residents first. All economic development initiatives must be considered in the prism of how it will affect our residents and our neighborhoods before we allow any new projects. Second, we need to restore the quality of our public schools. We have let them slip into a state of disrepair that is simply unacceptable. We need to start by supporting our school construction bond this November. Third, we need to immediately create a plan to reduce the tax burden for owner occupied homes in Newport. Let us look to immediately put in place some form of a homestead exemption that can reduce the burden for our home-owning residents.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Ward One is one of the most diverse populations in the city, from the historic Point district, to the families of the Broadway area, to the densely populated North End. Ward One is the home of the city’s only elementary school, the newly established innovation hub, and the gateway to visitors from the Pell Bridge. Ward One is also on the brink of major development that will affect every resident in the ward.

Although I fully support our businesses in Newport, I am also aware of the need to diversify our economy. I have been an advocate for balancing economic development in the North End with the very real needs of all the residents of Ward One. In addition to my frequent conversations and meetings with City Hall staff, the NBBJ Consultant group, the Planning Board, the State Department of Transportation and with our legislative team, I also sit on the North End Working Zoning Group, a group that involves the City Manager, City Solicitor, Planning Department, Planning Board members and Councilors.

In other areas of city government, I supported the Bond Issue for our schools, safe streets for our neighborhoods, protecting access to the waterfront, Mobile Food Trucks, the Fair Chance Licensing Act, and a resolution condemning Hate Speech and the need for implicit bias training for all city employees.

These first two years of representing Ward One is just the beginning. I have more work to do and I hope that I can continue to do so if elected for a second term.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

To work hard, to do the homework, and to make sure to always listen

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

My campaign message during the 2018 campaign for City Council was “Your choice for a voice.” As I walked through the neighborhoods of Ward One I met many residents who spoke to me about the changes taking place in Newport, the big hotels, the tourism economy, the need for a new high school and expansion of our elementary school, the rising cost of housing for year-round residents. I promised the residents that, if elected, I would be the voice of the residents of Ward One. I believe that I have kept that promise to the voters in my ward and I look forward to being elected for a second term to continue to advocate for all of Newport residents.