Joseph Michael Polisena Jr.

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Joseph Michael Polisena Jr.
OccupationMayor of Johnstown
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Joseph Michael Polisena Jr. is the Mayor of Johnston, Rhode Island. [1] Johnston was born in 1990 and is the son of Johnston's long-serving mayor, Joseph Polisena Sr. [2] [3]

Contents

Early life

He pursued a career in law and politics, holding several senior positions before embarking on a career in municipal governance. [4] Polisena Jr. served as the vice president of Johnston's Town Council starting in January 2019 and as deputy counsel in the governor's office from March 2021. He resigned in April 2022 to focus on his mayoral campaign. [1]

Before his role in the governor's office, he was legislative counsel for over two years and worked as a private attorney from December 2018 to February 2021. Polisena Jr. also served in the Rhode Island Public Defender's office from October 2016 to September 2018. He has a bachelor's degree from Rhode Island College, a law degree from Roger Williams Law School, and a master's degree in business administration from Providence College. [1]

Inauguration

Polensina Jr. succeeded his father, Joseph Polisena Sr., as the Mayor of Johnston in a ceremony held at Johnston High Schoole. The inauguration featured performances by Johnston High School's concert band and vocalists from the Treble Choir. [5]

During the inauguration, Joseph Polisena Sr. administered the oath of office to his son, marking a historic moment as the first instance in the state where a father swore in his son as mayor. Joseph Polisena Jr. expressed his governance priorities in his inaugural address, focusing on stable taxes, good public education, effective public safety, and efficient town services. He emphasized these as the foundation of government and prosperity. [5]

The event also included promotions and appointments within the Johnston Police and Fire Departments. [5]

Key policies

Joseph Polisena Jr. announced the takeover of the Johnston School Department due to financial deficits. [6] The school department faced a nearly $1 million deficit in the 2022 fiscal year and was projected to encounter a multi-million dollar deficit in the 2023 fiscal year. [6] . The takeover included consolidating the school department's business office functions. Initial actions involve loaning funds to the school department to address past deficits and appropriating over $2 million in the upcoming budget. [6]

The takeover aims to consolidate business office functions and loan money to the school district to cover past deficits. [7] Polesina allocated an additional $2.15 million to the school department for the 2024-2025 school year, representing the largest allocation in Johnston's history. [7] [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Reynolds, Mark; Gregg, Katherine (2022-03-21). "Councilor Joseph Polisena, son of Johnstown's longtime mayor, hopes to succeed father". The Providence Journal . Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  2. ↑ Schuller, Rory (16 February 2023). "Johnston Mayor hires Deputy Chief-of-Staff". Johnston Sunrise. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  3. ↑ Bowker, Brittany (2024-02-02). "temporary road to flooded rhode island neighborhood to close-at midnight". Boston Globe . Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  4. ↑ "whats behind the johnston school takeover". The Providence Journal . Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  5. 1 2 3 Fontaine, Pete (2023-01-16). "Introducing Johnston's new Mayor Joseph Polisena". Johnston Sunrise. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  6. 1 2 3 Stevens, Matthew (2023-06-16). "Johnston mayor announces town takeover of school department". ABC News . Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  7. 1 2 "ohnston's mayor says town will take control of school department". WJAR . 2023-06-16. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
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