Rebecca DeCristofaro
Candidate for
North Smithfield Town Council
Tenure and Service
Councilwoman DeCristofaro was elected to the Town Council in 2024. She first got involved in town politics when she spoke out against the ongoing ordinance violations of the quarry owned by Material Sand and Stone.
She pointed towards government accountability, enforcement of the charter and ordinances, establishing a long-term plan and fiscal goals, and economic development that enhances the community.
In her first term as a councilwoman, she proposed a code of conduct to hold elected officials and appointed volunteers to reasonable standards and launched an initiative to better support town boards and committees. Although, as an abutter, she had to recuse herself from matters relating to the quarry, she has continued to advocate for accountability as a resident.
Campaign Platform
On August 1, 2026, Rebecca DeCristofaro posted this note on her social media page.
Hey, North Smithfield!
A little late (and long!) with the announcement, but here it is! I'll be running for Town Council again in this November's election.
It has been an honor serving as your Town Council Vice President, and I'm proud of the work we've accomplished together. Over the last year and a half, we've made meaningful progress in collaboration with the Administration, our volunteers, and residents. That said, there's still much more to do.
To say I've learned a lot about our Town, municipal government, its legal intricacies, and even "small-town politics" would be an understatement. It's one thing to campaign on ideas and promises, and it's another to deliver once you understand what you can—and cannot—do within the legal authority of a Town Councilor.
I've come to believe that being an effective Councilor means this: where you can act, you must. Where you cannot, you collaborate and communicate, persistently.
I've appreciated serving alongside President Alves and Councilors Beauregard, O'Hara, and Punchak. Their institutional knowledge has been invaluable, and I've been fortunate to begin my service with such experienced colleagues. I've also enjoyed working with the Charter Review Committee and the Groundwater Protection Committee to advance important priorities and help influence meaningful change.
Most importantly, I've appreciated the opportunity to meet and work with so many residents. Your dedication to North Smithfield matches that of our elected officials, and serving you has been both humbling and incredibly rewarding. My role as a Town Councilor is to represent and advocate for your needs. It has been my honor to do so during my first term, and I hope to continue that work if re-elected.
If re-elected, I will continue working to enhance our community, protect and preserve our quality of life, and make local government easier to understand and more accessible. I intend to deliver that in the following ways:
Enhancing Our Community
Continue partnering with the Administration, Boards, and Committees to deliver on a shared community vision, beginning with Pacheco Park / Main Street and Halliwell.
Work with the Administration, Boards, and Committees to identify opportunities for appropriate development, support existing businesses, and preserve open space, recreation, and conservation.
Respond diligently to residents' zoning concerns and collaborate with the Administration to ensure those concerns are addressed.
Protecting and Preserving Quality of Life
Prioritize our environment and natural resources by keeping them at the forefront of every conversation and decision.
Maintain fiscal responsibility by managing taxpayer dollars wisely and minimizing unnecessary tax burdens.
Continue open communication and collaboration with the North Smithfield Police Department to foster a strong relationship between the Department and our community.
Making Government Make Sense
Improve communication between Town government, residents, and businesses by using communication methods that effectively reach our diverse community.
Work with Boards and Commissions to establish strategic priorities while ensuring our volunteers know how valuable their contributions truly are.
Partner with Committees to strengthen community engagement through meaningful events and opportunities for public involvement.
Work with the Town Solicitor to establish a Board of Licensure separate from the Town Council, enabling the Council to focus more on representing the residents we serve.
I welcome the opportunity to serve alongside a new Town Council and to continue advocating for residents while pursuing realistic, achievable goals informed by a long-term vision. That vision should honor North Smithfield's historic, rural character while embracing opportunities that thoughtfully enhance our community.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my first term as Vice President of the Town Council. I would sincerely appreciate your continued support during my campaign.
If you have any questions about my platform or would simply like to connect, please reach out to me at RJDeCristforNSTC@gmail.com. I'll also be partnering with fellow candidates to host campaign events, and I'll share those details as they're scheduled.
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: Councilor DeCristofaro, an abutter to the quarry property, recused herself from the council's vote approving a settlement agreement with the mining business.
July 9, 2026 TVB: DeCristofaro is named only as one of the incumbents being challenged in the 2026 Town Council election.
April 22, 2026 NRI: DeCristofaro questioned whether the town's revaluation company was at fault for resident complaints about 2024 tax assessments and called passing new abatements “a hard pill to swallow.”
February 25, 2026 NRI: Councilor DeCristofaro questioned why an outside firm was needed to review compliance documents, and later said tabling a related zoning matter would give the council time to review the applicant's materials.
January 28, 2026 NRI: DeCristofaro pressed the town administrator to clarify (and dispel a rumor about) his reasoning for not using town reserves on an infrastructure bond.
January 8, 2026 TVB: DeCristofaro pushed back on partial compliance from a salvage yard, ultimately making the motion to continue the status quo while requiring more information on outstanding violations.
December 18, 2025 TVB: DeCristofaro pressed a salvage-yard operator and town officials repeatedly on compliance timelines, crusher safeguards, and permit history over an extended exchange.
December 18, 2025 TVB | NRI: Recusing herself as an abutter, DeCristofaro called for an impact study on a proposed quarry facility to protect wells and urged stronger standards on setbacks, dust and noise.
December 11, 2025 TVB: DeCristofaro clarified that approving a $9 million bond ordinance doesn't commit the town to issuing or spending the full amount, and said she wasn't comfortable proposing a lower bond given construction-cost risk.
December 4, 2025 TVB: Councilor DeCristofaro repeatedly pressed a junkyard operator and town staff on compliance, contamination safeguards, and the timing of a crusher brought in only after a violation.
November 20, 2025 TVB:
November 12, 2025 TVB | NRI: DeCristofaro agreed a 2014 bond has funded the police station project to date, and questioned why the town wouldn't tap its general fund instead of issuing new bonds given other pressing needs.
November 6, 2025 TVB: DeCristofaro said the town owes residents transparency about how a police-station renovation's cost estimate climbed from $4.4 million to nearly $9 million.
October 23, 2025 TVB: Councilor DeCristofaro said more information was needed to explain a jump in a building renovation's estimated cost.
October 23, 2025 TVB: DeCristofaro outlined a new “board and committee engagement” proposal meant to fix friction between volunteers and the council, saying it matters that volunteers feel aligned with the town's purpose and plans.
October 22, 2025 NRI: Councilor DeCristofaro said more information was needed to explain a jump in a building renovation's estimated cost.
September 11, 2025 TVB: Councilor DeCristofaro asked whether documentation was still pending on what was later revealed to be an improperly approved liquor license transfer.
August 21, 2025 TVB: Article lists Councilor DeCristofaro as secretary of the Groundwater Protection Committee amid discussion of committee vacancies.
August 14, 2025 TVB: DeCristofaro, who first raised humane beaver management, argued that killing beavers instead of trying alternatives is an outdated, last-resort practice.
July 30, 2025 NRI: DeCristofaro asked the town administrator to explore a humane beaver-diversion device instead of continuing to euthanize beavers causing local flooding.
July 23, 2025 NRI: DeCristofaro said she'd love the town to have its own in-house senior program as current services transition.
July 10, 2025 TVB: DeCristofaro was quoted saying the town “can't afford to not plan” for road and infrastructure extension work.
June 26, 2025 NRI: DeCristofaro questioned why budget line items were pre-populated before council deliberations and said she'd rather focus on the figures as presented.
June 19, 2025 TVB | NRI: DeCristofaro, who ultimately voted against the town's gun-rights resolution, cited Rhode Island's low gun-death rate but also spoke as a mother concerned about school violence.
June 19, 2025 TVB: DeCristofaro said she'd be comfortable with a 3.25% raise for non-union employees, in line with union increases.
June 19, 2025 TVB: Vice President DeCristofaro read her proposed code-of-conduct policy and sparred at length with a colleague who called it an attack on free speech.
June 12, 2025 TVB: DeCristofaro cast the lone dissenting vote on a grant-writer contract, saying councilors were never shown competing proposals before the vote.
June 5, 2025 TVB: DeCristofaro joined another councilor in supporting a more transparent, consistent town salary structure instead of annual ad hoc debate.
May 22, 2025 TVB: Councilor DeCristofaro asked whether a proposed water-line extension would make a chemical business's planned expansion safer for nearby residents.
May 16, 2025 NRI: As incoming Charter Review Committee liaison, DeCristofaro outlined priorities inherited from a former councilor, including a town-manager question, staggered terms, and the budget timeline.
May 15, 2025 TVB: Vice President DeCristofaro introduced a proposed code of conduct for officials after being called “whiny” online, framing it as a step to reduce the town's divisiveness.
May 8, 2025 TVB: Vice President DeCristofaro raised concerns about the town's history of tax abatements, asking what root-cause review process exists for large abatements.
May 7, 2025 NRI: Article details DeCristofaro's private meetings with a quarry company's attorneys as an abutter, and quotes her disputing critics who accused her of abandoning her earlier opposition to the business.
April 23, 2025 NRI: Councilor DeCristofaro pushed for a volunteer code of conduct after being targeted with an online obscenity, defending it against a colleague's free-speech objections.
April 10, 2025 TVB: DeCristofaro said she had initially favored a different project-manager firm (KCM Group) for the police station renovation, but agreed ECC's focus on communication and transparency made it the better pick.
March 6, 2025 TVB: Recusing herself as a councilor but speaking as a resident and abutter, DeCristofaro described her house shaking from ongoing quarry blasting.
February 20, 2025 TVB: Speaking as an abutter and horse-farm owner, DeCristofaro argued a proposed quarry zoning overlay would weaken protections and worsen noise and environmental impacts near her property.
February 13, 2025 TVB: Recused as an abutter, DeCristofaro voiced concerns about fugitive silica dust from the quarry, warning the town would “have no buffer left” if operations moved within 50 feet of property lines.
February 4, 2025 TVB | NRI: Councilor DeCristofaro, co-sponsor of a police/ICE-cooperation ordinance, defended placing it on the agenda as being about transparency and disputed claims it was meant to pass unnoticed.
January 29, 2025 NRI: Now-Vice President DeCristofaro's political involvement is traced to her concerns as an abutter to a property; she will recuse from a February council vote but can still testify as a resident.
January 23, 2025 TVB | NRI: Councilor DeCristofaro argued the council's due diligence in appointing board members matters more than rigid term limits, and questioned inconsistent treatment of a departing member's term.
January 9, 2025 TVB: Councilor DeCristofaro asked what other projects the Municipal Resilience Program assessment could be used for, prompting Gibbs to note the town's five substandard dams as a possible candidate.
January 9, 2025 TVB: Councilor Rebecca DeCristofaro spoke in favor of raising board-member term limits, emphasizing the value of retaining experienced members.
January 9, 2025 TVB: Councilor DeCristofaro said she appreciated a resident's preference for in-house grant writing, but noted issuing an RFP doesn't guarantee the town rehires grant writer Andoscia.