Take Middletown Back!
Take Middletown Back!
Leonidas Amarant for Town Council
Common Sense. Lower Costs. Honest Leadership.
For too long, Middletown has become more expensive, more bureaucratic, and more responsive to special interests than to the residents who call it home. I’m running to cut wasteful spending, protect taxpayers, support small businesses, and return accountability to Town Hall.
It’s time to Put Residents Back in Charge
Why I'm Running
For decades, Middletown residents have been asked to pay more while receiving less. Property taxes, fees, and the cost of living continue to rise, while too many important decisions are made without enough accountability or public input.
We need leaders who ask tough questions, challenge unnecessary spending, protect taxpayers, support our local businesses, and remember that government exists to serve its residents, not special interests.
These priorities aren’t just campaign promises. They’re the principles that will guide every vote I cast on the Town Council. Together, we can restore accountability, improve affordability, and Take Middletown Back.
A Lifetime Invested in Middletown
I was raised in Middletown as the son of Greek immigrants who built their lives through hard work, small business, and service to our community. Those values shaped who I am and taught me that if you work hard, treat people with respect, and give back to your community, you leave it better than you found it.
Throughout my career as a software architect, small business owner, licensed contractor, Planning Board member, and youth coach, I’ve learned that good leadership starts with listening, asking tough questions, and making decisions based on facts, not politics. I don’t believe in rubber stamping decisions. I believe in accountability, transparency, and doing what’s right, even when it’s difficult.
Today, my wife and I are raising our family here because we believe Middletown is one of the best places on Earth to call home. But I also know too many families are struggling with rising property taxes, increasing costs, and a local government that has been more responsive to special interests than to the people it serves.
I’m not running to become a politician. I’m running because I believe Middletown can do better.
I don’t owe favors to developers, political organizations, or special interests. My only commitment is to the residents of Middletown. Every vote I cast will be guided by one simple question:
“Is this in the best interest of the people who live here?”
Lifelong Resident
Over 40 years in Middletown.
Small Business Owner
Creating local jobs and supporting our economy.
Planning Board Experience
Experience understanding development, zoning, and municipal government.
Husband & Father
Committed to keeping Middletown affordable for the next generation.
Independent Voice
I’m not afraid to challenge the status quo. Whether it’s government spending, taxes, or unpopular decisions, I’ll always ask the tough questions and put residents ahead of politics.
My Priorities
Respect Every Tax Dollar
Middletown doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. Every year residents are asked to pay more while government continues to grow. I believe taxpayers deserve the same fiscal discipline they use to manage their own household budgets.
As your council member, I’ll question unnecessary spending, demand greater accountability, and focus our tax dollars on core services like public safety, infrastructure, education, and maintaining our parks and beaches. Before asking residents to pay more, we should first ensure we’re spending wisely.
Government should live within its means, just like the families it serves.
Tax Reform
Fairness for All Residents
Our current tax system has become increasingly unfair and unpredictable. Rising assessments, complicated formulas, and recent tax policies have placed an enormous burden on homeowners, renters, and small businesses.
I support a tax system that is transparent, predictable, and based on fairness, not one that forces residents out of the community they’ve worked so hard to build. I’ll also work to control spending because meaningful tax relief starts with responsible budgeting.
People should never have to wonder whether they’ll be able to afford to stay in the town they call home.
No Town Hotel
Put Residents First
The proposed Town Center project no longer resembles the vision originally presented to residents. Today, the project is centered almost entirely around a large hotel while many of the promised public amenities have disappeared.
I believe Middletown deserves a better plan. As your council member, I will work to terminate the current agreement and pursue development that reflects the priorities of our residents while protecting the character of our community.
Growth should benefit the people who live here, not just outside developers.
Term Limits
New Ideas, Better Government
No one should hold public office indefinitely. Fresh perspectives bring new ideas, encourage accountability, and help prevent complacency.
I support placing term limits directly before Middletown voters so residents can decide whether long-term elected service should have reasonable limits. Public office should be about serving the community, not building a career.
Government works best when new voices have an opportunity to lead.
No Speed Cameras
Remove Speed Cameras: Safety Without Surveillance
Keeping our children and neighborhoods safe should always be a priority. But public safety should never come at the expense of personal privacy or by turning residents into a source of revenue.
I oppose Middletown’s speed camera program because it relies on constant automated surveillance and ticketing rather than meaningful solutions that improve safety. We can protect our school zones through better road design, improved signage, traffic calming measures, and when necessary, visible police enforcement that uses judgment and discretion instead of cameras.
Residents deserve safe streets without being monitored every time they drive through town. I’ll work to remove the speed cameras and replace them with solutions that protect both our children and our constitutional values.
Support Small Business
Small Business is Middletown’s Backbone
As a small business owner myself, I understand the challenges local businesses face every day. Rising costs, unnecessary regulations, and increasing fees make it harder for local entrepreneurs to succeed.
Small businesses create jobs, support local charities, sponsor youth sports, and help define the character of our community. Town government should be a partner, not another obstacle.
I’ll work to reduce unnecessary regulations, improve communication, and create an environment where local businesses can thrive.
Affordability
Keeping Middletown Affordable
Everything we do as a town should be viewed through one simple question: Does this make Middletown more affordable for the people who live here?
Whether it’s taxes, housing, utility costs, or government spending, the rising cost of living affects every resident. Young families struggle to buy their first home, seniors worry about remaining in theirs, and too many of our children are being priced out of the community they grew up in.
I’ll fight for policies that lower costs, promote responsible growth, and ensure Middletown remains a place where people can afford to live, work, raise a family, and retire.
More Than a Candidate
I’m not a career politician. I’m a husband, father, business owner, coach, volunteer, and lifelong Middletown resident who cares deeply about this community.
I grew up here, attending Aquidneck School, Gaudet Middle School, Middletown High School, and later the University of Rhode Island. My parents came to this country from Greece with little more than determination and a belief that hard work could build a better life. They built that life here in Middletown, and those lessons of perseverance, personal responsibility, and community continue to guide me today.
I’ve been fortunate to wear many hats throughout my life. I started working at 13 years old washing dishes, waiting tables, and working construction. Over the years I’ve managed restaurants, worked as a software architect for more than 25 years, became a licensed Rhode Island general contractor, built homes and businesses, and even helped launch technology startups. (And yes…I once worked at the butterfly zoo on Aquidneck Avenue. Ask me about that sometime.)
Giving back has always been important to me. I’ve served on the Middletown Planning Board, coached youth soccer and football, supported organizations like the McCarthy Scholarship Fund and AHEPA Housing, and worked alongside many others to strengthen our community.
Most importantly, Debbie and I are raising our three children here because we believe Middletown is one of the best places in Rhode Island to call home. I want them, and every young family growing up here today, to have the same opportunity to build a life in this community that my parents gave me. And I want our seniors to be able to comfortably afford to spend the rest of their lives here.
That’s why I’m running.
Not for a title. Not for politics.
To help ensure Middletown remains a town where families can afford to live, small businesses can succeed, and future generations can proudly call home.
Paid for by Amarant for Rhode Island