David Punchak

Since these days nothing is official until it’s “Facebook official,” I wanted to share that I have decided to run for re-election to the North Smithfield Town Council.

Serving our community in this capacity has been an incredible honor, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside so many dedicated residents, volunteers, town employees, and fellow elected officials. My community involvement in North Smithfield has spanned more than 12 years, and throughout that time I have had the privilege of meeting so many wonderful people, listening to your ideas and concerns, and learning even more about what makes our community such a special place to call home. The past 20 months serving on the Town Council have only strengthened my appreciation for the people who make North Smithfield the great community it is.

While there is always more work to be done, I remain committed to serving our community with respect, integrity, and a willingness to listen.

As you may have noticed, I have maintained a minimal presence on Facebook over the past year and a half, and that won’t change. I won’t be using this page—or any page—to engage in political rhetoric or online arguments, and I won’t participate in the negativity that too often surrounds social media. I believe respectful, face-to-face conversations are far more productive than debates in the comments section. As I’ve said in the past, I am “Here for people, not for politics.”

If you believe I have represented our community well and would like to support my campaign, I would truly appreciate your help. Whether it’s displaying a yard sign, talking with your friends and neighbors, or simply sharing words of encouragement, every show of support means a great deal. If you would like a yard sign, please send me a private message, and I’ll make sure to get one to you as soon as they’re available. You can also reach me at dpunchak@gmail.com or dpunchak@nsmithfieldri.gov.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me along the way. Your trust and friendship mean more than you know, and I hope to continue serving the town we all care so deeply about.

I look forward to the months ahead and to seeing many of you around town.

In The News

In this section, we have searched for articles in The Valley Breeze, NRI Now, and The Local Insider from 2025 and 2026 that mention the candidate and provided the links.

• August 20, 2026 TVB: Town Council’s 3-1 vote to settle with Material Sand and Stone, with David Punchak casting the sole dissenting vote.

• July 23, 2026 | TVB: Councilor David Punchak’s motion to accept the withdrawal of the petition for a zoning overlay by Material Sand and Stone. The motion passed 3-0.

• July 9, 2026 TVB: Coverage of the candidates for Town Council, noting that incumbent David Punchak is running.

• April 22, 2026 NRI: Town Council reviews $69,683 in tax abatements for five large properties; Councilor David Punchak questions how long-established businesses could have such large year-over-year assessment discrepancies and pushes Assessor Jennifer George on the qualifications of the review board.

• March 5, 2026 TVB | NRI: Town Council votes 5-0 to grant the business license to Leo’s Auto Junkyard, stating that “David Punchak said he was frustrated that there was a lack of clarity in specifications, and that there needs to be more work done”. NRI Now noted that Councilor David Punchak was not present for the vote.

• February 25, 2026 NRI: Councilors table a decision on Leo's Auto Junkyard's compliance; Councilor David Punchak argues the property is still visibly non-compliant ("You can see the piles of cars stacked up over the fence") and questions the value of a proposed $17,500 GZA environmental review, saying "We didn't create this situation.”

• January 28, 2026 NRI: At a meeting on the ~$9 million police station bond, Councilor David Punchak says using the town's full fund balance "doesn't make any sense" though "taking some of it possibly makes sense," and dismisses a Halliwell public safety complex alternative as "not even feasible" due to wetlands.

• January 8, 2026 TVB: Town Council votes to enter mediation with Material Sand and Stone. Councilman Punchak was noted as wanting the town’s portion of mediation costs to be paid from fines imposed on the quarry. ᵀⱽᴮ

• December 19, 2025 NRI: Town Council votes to pursue mediation with Material Sand & Stone; Councilor David Punchak says he still has unanswered questions on the quarry zoning request ("I think there's just a lot to unpack") but agrees the process shouldn't drag on

• December 18, 2025 TVB: Town Council, on a motion from Councilman David Punchak, extends the deadline for Leo’s Auto Junkyardto resolve the issues they had identified. Councilman David Punchak was one of two dissenting votes in extending their business license until January.

• December 4, 2025 NRI: Town Council approves sending the question of the Police Station bondto the voters for an early February 2026 special election. Councilman Punchak asks why they continue to call it a public safety complex if it is a police station.

• December 4, 2025 TVB: Town Council approves a motion made by Councilman David Punchak to permit Leo’s Auto Junkyardto operate for two more weeks, strictly for removal purposes.

• November 20, 2025 TVB: Town Council approves the $9,000,000 Police Station renovation, including passing a motion made by Councilor David Punchak for a bill for $17,800 in pre-construction work prior to the February 2026 bond approval.

• November 12, 2025 NRI: Town Council approves the first reading of sending thePolice Station bond question to the voters for an early February 2026 special election, quoting Punchak “We have to do everything we possibly can to help ensure success of this bond.”

• October 22, 2025 NRI: Coverage of Town Council recognizing that they would need to go to the voters to approve the police station bond.

• September 8, 2025 TVB | NRI: Town Council approves in a 5-0 vote to transfer a business license before the business had been sold, and noted Councilor David Punchak had pressed for clarification on paperwork before voting in favor.

• August 27, 2025 NRI: As the Halliwell Multigenerational Center's cost estimate rises to $7.2 million, Councilor David Punchak, the council's liaison to the building committee, calls the new figure "a tough thing to say yes to."

• August 21, 2025 NRI: With the Material Sand & Stone peer review delayed for months, Councilor David Punchak notes the expanded scope (including expert interviews) was not what the council originally requested.

• June 26, 2025 NRI: Amid budget presentation errors and data discrepancies, Councilor David Punchak flags that documents show over $12 million in unspent town funds and pushes for more accurate, up-to-date figures before deliberations continue.

• June 19, 2025 TVB | NRI: Councilman David Punchak’s cosponsorship of a resolution declaring North Smithfield a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary Town leads to it passing, 3-2.

• June 11, 2025 NRI: Councilman David Punchak comes out as a co-sponsor of a resolution declaring North Smithfield a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary Town.

• May 22, 2025 NRI: Town Council approves a water line extension along Central Street funded by Material Sampling Technologies; Councilor David Punchak notes the ~14 affected homes won't bear any cost, as MST is covering the main and service lines to the curb.

• April 10, 2025 TVB: Town Council votes to approve a project manager for the Police Station renovation for $207,000. Councilor David Punchak is quoted as stating, “I really like the fact that ECC came with their subject matter experts…That is a value-added bonus … and I got the impression we would have more involvement from ECC.”

• April 9, 2025 NRI: Two Eagle Scout projects (village signs, Slater Park improvements) are presented to the Council; Councilor David Punchak asks whether DPW staff would need to perform maintenance on the new signage.

• March 20, 2025 TVB | NRI: Town Council approves for an additional $12,600 for the Mowry Fire Tower restoration project, increasing the total cost to $66,390, noting that Councilor David Punchak asked for clarification if this would be the last additional bill.

• March 13, 2025 TVB: The Halliwell Multigenerational Building Committee meets for the second time, with Councilor David Punchak expressing the need for a well-articulated “story” or vision that might help build public support for the project and encourage broader community engagement.

• March 6, 2025 TVB: Public hearings are held regarding Material Sand and Stone, with Councilman David Punchak quoted as stating “I felt the December 30 blast three miles away… If my windows didn’t shake, why did my dishes shake?”. The Council voted to extend the discussion until the next meeting.

• February 12, 2025 TVB | NRI: Town Council votes to dissolve two committees to create The Halliwell Multigenerational Building Committee, and Councilor David Punchak is named as the Town Council Liaison for the committee.

• February 10, 2025 NRI: Councilor David Punchak plans to host an upcoming "Coffee with a Councilor" event, with the stipulation that discussion can't cover his views on pending agenda items. It becomes his only coffee hour with a councilor for the two year term.

• January 23, 2025 TVB: Town Council votes to extend the term limits of the Planning Board and the Zoning Board for a 3rd term (total 15 years). Councilor David Punchak questioned why these two boards have term limits, unlike the rest of the town boards.

• January 8, 2025 NRI: Town Council votes 3-0 to reissue an RFP for a new grant writer; Councilors David Punchak and Clare O'Hara were not present for the vote.