By EMMA BARTLETT

Cranston resident Peter Rivelli, 45, announced Wednesday his run for City Council as a Democrat in Ward 4.

“Serving is something I have been involved in and enjoyed doing since I was 19,” said Rivelli in a press release. “I enjoy helping people and this is the reason why I am running for City Council. My goal if elected is to continue making Cranston a safe and great place to live while providing our children with a great education.”

Rivelli moved to Cranston when he was eight years old and completed his education within the Cranston Public School System. At 19, he joined the Air Force and trained to become a firefighter. He was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska for two years and was deployed to the Middle East for Operation Desert Fox which was a four-day major bombing campaign on Iraqi targets in 1998. In August of 1999, Rivelli was honorably discharged from active duty and moved back to Cranston.

Otis Air National Guard Base then hired Rivelli as a firefighter and transferred him in 2002 to Naval Station in Newport where he worked as a firefighter until his retirement in 2020.  Overall, he completed another seven and a half years of service with the National Guard. During his time at Naval Station Newport, he trained to become an Emergency Medical Technician: Cardiac (EMT-C) and then a paramedic.

For the past 16 years, he has been a Ward 4 resident. He is currently enrolled at Southern New Hampshire University and will graduate in June of 2023 with a degree in business. In an interview on Thursday, Rivelli said he always had an interest in finance and eventually hopes to be a financial planner.

After he retired in 2020, he joined the Cranston Democrat Ward 4 Committee. He said he always had an interest in politics and wanted to be involved, however, as a federal employee, he could be involved in partisan politics.

If elected to the council, some of the topics Rivelli would like to address include taxes and spending.

Rivelli said Cranston’s spending has to be controlled to limit any tax increases in the future and believes this is a task he can help with.

“We need to be creative to limit any tax increases,” Rivelli said. “Our tax-paying citizens cannot afford a tax increase especially during the rising costs of products due to inflation.”

He said a tax freeze on lower income citizens 70 and over makes sense for the city’s elderly population so individuals can afford staying in their homes.

“We don’t want our elderly displaced from their homes because they can’t afford a tax increase,” Rivelli said.

Rivelli referenced his grandmother when talking about his idea for the tax freeze. He said his grandmother and grandfather lived off their Social Security and a fixed income in their old age. After the grandfather died, Rivelli said their income dropped. Rivelli said the older population can’t afford a tax increase while being on a set income.

Some of the skills Rivelli said he’s able to bring to the table are working with people across the aisle and helping keep a balanced budget.

“I believe I can help keep Cranston a great and safe place to live and hope to earn the voter’s support,” Rivelli said.

Rivelli has been married to his wife, Melissa, for 25 years and the couple have five children – Liana, Isabella, Joseph, Alana and Giana who have all attended Cranston Public Schools. Liana and Isabella are currently enrolled in college; Joey will graduate from Cranston West this year; Alana is in the ninth grade at Cranston West; and Giana is currently at Hope Highlands. 

Rivelli will run against Republican councilman Richard Campopiano who announced his run for Ward 4 last week.

Rivelli’s friends will hold a fundraiser on June 1 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Griddle (2244 Plainfield Pike Cranston). He invites all Cranston residents to come by and join the gathering.