manzi

JOHNSTON — Two experienced politicians, both Democrats, face each other in a primary contest over the District 5 Town Council seat.

Lorraine M. Natale, a former member of the School Committee, is challenging incumbent councilwoman Stephanie P. Manzi. Whoever wins will run unopposed in the November election.

As in several other races this year, primary voters will choose between an incumbent who sees the town’s fortunes improving, quite dramatically, under the existing leadership and a challenger who sees some serious problems, including a failure to control taxes.

Natale, of 9 Emerald Lane, is the feistier of the two candidates. She hasn’t needed any provocation to take some shots at Manzi.

She faults the incumbent councilwoman and others for what she regards as problems with the government process.

For example, she accuses the council of approving a supplemental tax increase in 2007 without holding a formal public hearing. The council held a special meeting on the issue. Anyone who wanted to give public input at the council’s meetings always has an opportunity, Manzi said.

Natale asserts the council isn’t working hard enough to open the process to residents.

A few weeks ago, people attended a meeting to speak on a rezoning proposal to accommodate a new funeral home.

The name of the family-owned home was not on the agenda and some critics of the proposal missed a chance to approach the council on the matter.

Natale said she doesn’t like the way the council uses the town’s municipal court chambers for its meetings.

“It’s more like they are judges and jurors rather than public officers serving the public,” she said.

In an interview, Natale made some allegations she wasn’t able to back up.

For example, she accused the council and Mayor Joseph M. Polisena of raising taxes 13 percent last year. She couldn’t give a precise explanation of her math.

“I figured it out,” she said, “my husband and I.”

The property tax rate climbed from $17.84 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2007 to $18.91 per $1,000 last year. The tax rate doesn’t tell the whole story alone because real estate assessments have increased, too.

Manzi asserts that exemptions for residents who live in their own homes, additional tax breaks for the elderly and other factors helped shelter many taxpayers.

Natale isn’t persuaded.

“We’re a host community to a landfill and we have a power plant?” she said. “Why is our tax rate so high? Where is the money going? Give me a list of the revenues and expenditures because, quite frankly, it’s not there.”

Natale is a retired educator who owns Greggs Gifts + More.

She has a bachelor’s degree from Rhode Island College and a master’s degree in counseling from Providence College.

Manzi, 37, of 37 Hopkins Ave., said she hopes voters will see her experience on the council, over her two terms in office, as a plus and also bellwether for the type of service she can provide going forward.

The councilwoman said she hasn’t missed a single meeting since she took office in January of 2005.

She said she serves with “honesty and integrity,” examines and researches issues to make educated decisions, and “works toward resolutions, not conflict.”

“This year we had a zero tax increase,” she said. “I would love to see a zero tax increase next year.”

Looking to the future, her top priority is “tax stabilization” — managing the town’s finances to limit the tax burdens on its property owners.

To accomplish that, she said, town officials need to: support and sustain a recent surge in the business sector; continue with an aggressive push to collect taxes from tax evaders; live by the philosophy that “If we don’t have it we don’t spend it”; and maintain good working relationships between the Town Council, School Committee and mayor’s office.

Manzi also wants the town to expand its water and sewer extensions and keep high educational standards in local schools.

After she was asked if she wanted to criticize her opponent, she said: “I believe I’m the better voice and representative of District 5.”

mreynold@projo.com