BARR

LINCOLN — Two years after he narrowly lost a run for the Democratic town administrator nomination, former state Rep. John Douglas Barr II announced he is running for administrator.

“As I said two years ago, we are not insulated from a slowing economy,” Barr said in a statement. “The town of Lincoln’s taxpayers need to get more bang for each tax dollar they pay. As an individual who is married with four children, owns a home and pays property taxes, I understand what it means to live within your household budget.”

Barr narrowly lost the Democratic nomination to run for town administrator two years ago in a three-way primary with Dean Lees Jr. and Louis Azar. He is the first to officially announce his candidacy, though former Democratic Town Committee Chairman John J. Cullen declared his intent to run last week in a letter he posted on an Internet Web site.

Barr and Cullen have faced off before. They both ran against state Rep. William McManus in 2004, Cullen as the endorsed Democrat

Promising a “spirited debate on issues that we all think are important,” Barr said he planned to unveil proposals that would reduce property taxes while maintaining the quality of the town’s school system.

Barr served five terms representing parts of Lincoln in the House of Representatives, from 1990-94 and 1996-2002. He lost reelection bids in 1994, 2002 and 2004, the last when he ran as an independent. His first try for local office was in 2006.

Besides his experience at a state legislator and a familiarity with the workings of state government, Barr said he would bring real-life experiences from growing up in Lincoln and running a business with his wife, Sharon.

“As a small business owner, I know what it is to struggle against Rhode Island’s heavy tax burden, workers compensation costs and the ever increasing cost of medical insurance,” he said. “To this end, when elected, I will work to bring all branches of town government together to control Lincoln’s ballooning budget.”

“This will not be an easy task but together we can be successful. Honesty, integrity and putting the people of Lincoln first will be the corner stone of my campaign. Lincoln is a great place to live and raise a family.

“To paraphrase what Bobby Kennedy once said — Most people see Lincoln as it is and say it’s fine; I dream of what Lincoln could be and say why not,” Barr said. “I will be discussing these issues in greater depth in future press releases and a door to door campaign.”

jhill@projo.com