At the conclusion of the filing deadline for local elections last week, three candidates declared their candidacy for two open seats on the Warren Town Council, which were vacated with the announcements from Brandt Heckert and Steve Calenda that they wouldn’t be seeking re-election.

The three candidates include a trio of men with varying experiences in local government and professional backgrounds, including one Warren native, one who might as well be considered a Warren native, and a recent transplant from Salt Lake City.

The Times-Gazette spoke to each candidate for a brief profile to better inform voters about their choices. They are presented in the order they answered requests for interviews.

Derrik Trombley
The 28-year-old Trombley has become a more and more visible face in Warren over the past few years, beginning his service to the town as a member of the town’s Parks and Recreation Board. He has since become a member of the Economic Development Board, the Tax Assessor’s Review Board, and the George Hail Library Board of Trustees.

A lifelong resident of Warren, Trombley received his bachelor’s degree from Rhode Island College and then pursued a law degree at Suffolk University. He also holds a Master’s in Public Administration. His mother worked for Meals on Wheels and his father was an EMT in Massachusetts, before settling down in Warren.

“My parents' dedication to our community and their tireless efforts to provide for us have profoundly influenced my life's path," said Trombley. “Their commitment to service and the values they imparted have shaped my desire to give back to the town that has given me so much.”

Trombley said that his two top priorities if elected would be to help address Warren’s financial condition and rebuild its unassigned fund balance that was decimated by the recent lawsuit settlement, and see the Broken Bridge pedestrian bridge project is completed.

Tim White
Born outside of Oakland, Calif. and a longtime resident of Salt Lake City, Utah, Tim White moved to Touisset about six years ago. He said he has found the slower pace and more manageable size of coastal New England to be just what the doctor ordered after life in the big city, where it seemed harder to make a mark.

“Where I grew up to Salt Lake City, you’re talking about a million people. It’s impossible to make a difference, it’s like a drop in a bucket,” he said. “But here…you can make a difference in a small town.”

Both he and his wife of 20 years, Joan Coltrain, have embraced that opportunity. For the past three years White has been a member of Station #6 of the Warren Volunteer Fire Department, he is an EMT with Warren Rescue, and he also serves on the department’s marine unit as well. Joan, meanwhile, is a member of the Historic District Commission, the Warren Preservation Society Board, and the Warren Heritage Foundation’s Gala Committee.

“It’s easy to just get right into it,” White said. “We fell into public service here and couldn’t be happier with it. The appeal of a small town is the ability to step up and serve it.”

Asked why he wanted to join the council, White — who worked in the past as a technical manager for a boiler manufacturer in New Bedford, and is now a self-employed handyman — said he wanted to be a voice for the working class Warren resident.

“I guess you just could just say I’m the working guy,” he said. “I don’t have political aspirations to move onto town manager, the governor’s office or any higher office. I’m just in it for Warren…I can’t help but feel there’s room for some fresh air, and some new thinking.”

Louis Rego
The final candidate is certainly not a new name to many in Town, as he was a member of the Town Council from 1996 to 2008. Rego said that he was proud of many of the accomplishments that he helped make happen during that span, which helped sprout Warren into the thriving community it is today.

But he said that recently, in his opinion there’s been a lack of attention to maintaining what has given Warren that new economic life.

“When I got into the town, the town wasn’t what it is today,” he said. “Now, when I drive down the road and I see weeds three feet tall, when I see historic lamp posts we worked so hard to get be all rusty, it’s really disheartening. When I go to the bandshell and see mold and nothing being maintained, I think it’s much easier to fix these things than it is to spend money on new stuff.”

Rego, who was born in the Azores and emigrated to Canada as a toddler, eventually settled with his family in Warren when he was 5. Fifty-seven years later, he’s still here, and just recently retired after a long career with Bay Coast Bank, where he rose to the title of First Vice President and their sales team leader.

Rego has also dedicated time to serving in various capacities in Town, including a 25-year membership with the Warren Rotary, serving as Vice Chairman of the Historic Warren Armory, and a current role serving as Vice President of the Warren Housing Authority. Rego said his pride for Warren remains strong, but he feels some more oversight and management from the Council could be greatly beneficial.

“I’ve invested a lot of time to this community and I just want to see things done right, and I don’t think they’re very difficult things to be accomplished; I just think they need to be addressed,” he said. “A lot of businesses have come to town, plenty of restaurants, businesses, people. Warren is a great town. I think it just needs to have some issues addressed.”