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Tom Guidugli to run for Mayor of Newport in 2020; City Commissioner now serves as Vice Mayor


Tom Guidugli Jr. — a Newport native who during his nearly nine years on the Newport City Commission has helped usher in an unprecedented period of prosperity, investment and economic development in the city – has announced that he will run for Mayor of Newport in 2020.

Guidugli, 48, who currently serves as Vice Mayor, has been a member of the Newport City Commission since 2010. He seeks to replace incumbent Mayor Jerry Peluso, who is unable to seek re-election next year due to term limits.

Tom Guidugli

“I’m incredibly honored yet humbled to announce my candidacy for Mayor in the 2020 election,” Guidugli said. “I stand on the shoulders of those before me, who led our city in a positive and prosperous direction. And I pledge to continue the progress that has made Newport a great place to live, work, visit, and play.”

Jerry Peluso is supporting Guidugli for Mayor.

“As a Vice Mayor, Tom Guidugli has been a very intelligent, hard-working member of the City Commission,” Peluso said. “He not only knows the issues, he deeply understands them. I’m honored to endorse him for Mayor because along with our incumbent City Commissioners, I know he will continue all the great things that are happening in our city.”

When Guidugli Jr. was born, his family lived in the West Side of Newport. He was raised on the hill overlooking the city that was home to a heavily Italian-American neighborhood — an area commonly known as “Spaghetti Knob” — and he bought his first home in the city’s East Row neighborhood while still attending college at Northern Kentucky University.

“Like me, Tom grew up on these streets,” Mayor Peluso said. “He’s home grown. And to me, that brings something special to the Office of Mayor. We love this city, we know this city, and we want it to be as great as it can be.”

Newport’s growth in the past decade has been astounding, with projects that include:

•T he $200 million purchase and planned redevelopment of Newport on the Levee by North American Properties.

• The development and opening of the Newport Pavilion shopping center and retail area.

• The construction of new apartments, hotels, single-family homes, office space, and condominiums throughout the city.

• The restoration of the Ohio riverfront with the development of the Riverfront Commons walking, running, and biking trail.

• Attracting million of dollars in federal and state grant money for infrastructure and street repairs and improvements, including the Ky. 9 extension and the planned reconfiguration of the Monmouth Street underpass.

Along with several large companies and employers that have invested and grown in the city, Newport is also home to a thriving small-business community. Monmouth Street, the main artery through the city, is recognized as a prime example of a vibrant neighborhood business district comprised of individually owned restaurants, retail shops, entertainment venues, and offices for professional services.

Mike Smith, a Newport entrepreneur, opened Headquarters Events Center on Monmouth Street after four years of scouting locations throughout Greater Cincinnati.

Newport’s growth in the past decade has been astounding in recent years, with projects that include the $200 million purchase and planned redevelopment of Newport on the Levee by North American Properties.

“I knew Newport’s economy was booming, and then when I started looking for a location for my events business, I found a building with historic architecture that I really fell in love with, so much so that I now live above my business,” Smith said. “Newport has been nothing but supportive of my business.”

“I’ve been able to grow, and when I look up and down Monmouth Street I see so much progress,” he said. “Tom Guidugli has done a fabulous job as a City Commissioner. He’s very well supported in the community and he will continue to do a great job as Mayor, leading us on a path of continued growth and prosperity.”

Mark Ramler, a Newport resident and business owner of Mansion Hill Properties, which purchases and restores historic homes and buildings in Newport, recently restored and reopened Jerry’s Jug House on East Seventh Street as well as several other buildings in the city.

“Tom Guidugli is very supportive of small businesses in our community, and it is that focus and dedication that has led to so much redevelopment in the city,” Ramler said. “He is great to work with and he is really helping make Newport a great place to live and work.”

An area poised for residential, business, and commercial development and redevelopment is Newport’s West Side. Spurred by the recent completion of the Ky. 9 extension – a new corridor that connects downtown Newport to Interstate 275 via a boulevard through neighborhoods on western boundary of the city — companies such as New Riff Distilling and Albert Fedders Construction have invested or are currently investing millions of dollars in new and rehab construction projects.

Albert Fedders has purchased two historic West Side buildings on 11th Street — the former Greenline bus barn, and just across the street, the old West Side Cafe building – that his construction company is in the process of rehabilitating.

“I appreciate Tom Guidugli’s attention to Newport businesses and his genuine dedication to making sure that all of Newport, including the West Side, is a great place to do business,” Fedders said. “He is consistent in checking in with us and making sure he understands our needs.”

West Side residents Mickey and Catherine McElwain, who have been involved in historic preservation and restoration in Newport since the 1980s, also support Guidugli.

“Tom Guidugli pays attention to the needs of the residents in the West Side and throughout the city,” Mickey McElwain said. “Tom Guidugli and the entire city commission and administration have done a tremendous job creating a synergy where people are moving in to the West Side.”

“Tom will do a great job continuing to lead that progress as mayor,” McElwain continued. “My wife and I attend a lot of city commission meetings, and I’ve always been impressed with how insightful and thoughtful Tom is when it comes to any issue, but in particular when he is asking questions about how development is going to impact the community and the neighborhoods. He is very conscientious and always puts the residents first.”

Guidugli wants to enhance transparency through a fully modernized communication plan that increases awareness and encourages citizen activism and involvement. Like those who served before him, Guidugli is driven by the opportunity to serve as a conduit to transfer knowledge and experience to the next generation of Newport leaders.

“Times are changing in Newport,” Guidugli said, “and change is always challenging. As a team, we have worked with common cause and a positive purpose, and we will continue to do so in the years to come.”

Guidugli’s focus on a servant-leadership style — which builds strong relationships with residents, organizations, and institutions — is a key element to the city’s recent success. “Tom Guidugli has worked hard to build and improve the city’s relationship with the Newport Independent Schools,” said Newport Board of Education Chairwoman Ramona Malone.

“He’s done a wonderful job reaching out and really engaging Newport schools,” Malone said. “Tom knows that a thriving and successful public school system is vital to the current and future success of Newport, so the city commission and the school district work as partners to bring new residents, jobs, and investment to the city.”

Malone said Guidugli’s love and affection for the City of Newport is “obvious and real.” “I don’t think there is anyone who loves the City of Newport more than Tom Guidugli and his family,” she said.

Guidugli grew up around city hall and Newport politics. His father, Tom Guidugli Sr., who formerly served as the city’s mayor, currently works as executive director of Neighborhood Foundation/Newport Housing Authority.

Tom Guidugli Jr. is an integral player in the fine arts community in the Greater Cincinnati region. He has spent more than 30 years as a member of Local 5 Stagehands, and since 2000, has served as the Union’s Business Representative, managing a multi-million budget and more than 400 employees.

Guidugli and his wife, Heather, live in Newport’s East Row neighborhood with their two young children, Giabella and Louie.

From Strategic Advisers


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