Episode Four: Candidate Chat with Kevin Carriere
View the complete transcript.
In this episode of Public Comment North Smithfield, hosts Sarah and Elizabeth interview Kevin Carrier, a candidate for North Smithfield Town Council and professor of social and political psychology at Stonehill College.
Kevin discusses his three core campaign priorities: government transparency, environmental protection, and housing affordability in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. The conversation covers the town's communication gaps, the controversy around the police station bond vote, the quarry and junkyard issues affecting residents, and the challenge of keeping North Smithfield affordable for young families and retirees alike.
Kevin also shares why he began attending North Smithfield Town Council meetings, what frustrated him about the public comment process, and what he would prioritize if elected — including making the town budget publicly visible and easy to understand.
In this episode:
0:08 — Intro & welcome to the show
0:57 — Introducing Kevin Carrier, DTC member and Town Council candidate
1:12 — How Kevin is feeling heading into the campaign announcement
2:46 — Kevin's background: social & political psychology, group dynamics, research methods
3:55 — How listening skills from the classroom translate to town council
4:50 — The streetlight problem: why North Smithfield residents have to call a third-party contractor to report outages
6:01 — Priority #1: Transparency — better town communication, a centralized Facebook page, and lessons from the blizzard of 2024
7:34 — The police department has an official page — why doesn't the town?
8:12 — Priority #2: The Environment — quarry air quality, junkyard sludge, and protecting North Smithfield's social fabric for future generations
9:53 — The lack of community gathering spaces: library funding, Scouter's Hall, Revive coffee shop
11:54 — Priority #3: Housing Affordability — pricing out children and retirees, the role of ADUs, and the importance of the planning board
12:53 — Sarah's personal story: couldn't afford North Smithfield, moved to Foster, came back — and why it was worth it
14:27 — Elizabeth on the generational pattern: North Smithfield High grads want to come back — but can they afford to?
15:53 — Kevin's story: top-10 schools, five minutes from mom and dad, and living with your wife in your childhood bedroom
16:44 — Who shaped Kevin's values? His dad Richard: curiosity, transparency, and the 24-hour rule
18:37 — Kevin's experiences speaking at town council public comment — and what frustrated him
19:24 — "They say 'great, thanks' and move on" — why public comments go nowhere
20:11 — The town council's lack of ordinances: a legislative body that doesn't legislate
20:11 — The town council's lack of ordinances: a legislative body that isn't legislating
21:40 — If Kevin could pass one thing on day one: a public budget visualization tool on the town website
22:53 — "After every meeting, they pay the bills — where is that money going?"
24:11 — Kevin built a budget tool for the police bond — and the town council couldn't identify what was inaccurate
26:00 — Elizabeth on the budget committee: half the year of work, 30-page documents, and the responsibility of public officials
26:57 — Should the police bond have been on the February ballot? On proactivity vs. reactive governance
29:39 — What North Smithfield gets RIGHT: great schools, growing enrollment, the COVID baby bubble
32:00 — Kevin on the North Smithfield "feel" — Rhode Island rural, community events, Memorial Day ceremony, the 5K
33:45 — Elizabeth: "Keep it rural" — but what does that actually mean as growth continues?
34:36 — Kevin on smart development: Revive as a model, a welcome packet for new residents, and the old Tupperware building on 146A
35:50 — Sarah: the new apartment complex on 146A — nobody's upset about it, they're upset about the traffic
38:20 — "There has to be a plan" — abandoned buildings, the Milk Can, long-term implications
39:05 — Elizabeth gives Kevin his door-knock challenge: 2 minutes, go
39:18 — Kevin's campaign pitch — responsive, respectful, and actually doing the job
40:35 — Final question: what question do you wish someone would ask you?
40:54 — Kevin on the role of a town councilor: representative vs. "I trust you, do whatever you want"
43:06 — Where to find Kevin: KevinForNS.com, Facebook & Instagram
43:30 — Where to find Public Comment North Smithfield: nspubliccomment.com, Facebook & Instagram group
