The Newport City Council appointed Jan Kaplan as mayor earlier this week. It comes in the wake of former mayor Dean Sawyer’s resignation amid news reports that he shared social media posts degrading women, immigrants, and trans people.
Kaplan served as a city councilor for a year and a half, and as acting mayor since Sawyer’s resignation in mid-July.
In his interview with Newport’s city council Monday, Kaplan listed many key, long-term issues the mayor will need to oversee. Those include building a new dam and water treatment plant, addressing affordable housing and homelessness, and recruiting a new city manager.
“And so my feeling is, it was important to me that I’m up to speed on all of those things," Kaplan told the council. "I’m working actively on most of them, and that one of the reasons for me stepping up is that I think we just need to keep moving forward.”
Kaplan cited his experience in state and county government, and his leadership in public and mental health.
Kaplan will serve until the current term ends in January, 2025.
