With Tim Howe announcing he won’t seek reelection for Ward 3’s City Council seat, another resident has received his support to succeed him.

Bryan Nappa, founder of Nappa Law, LLC and a member of the ward’s Ward Committee, announced his run to represent Ward 3 late last month. Nappa is running as a Democrat.

A lifelong Warwick resident, Nappa,, 40, grew up in Oakland Beach and graduated from Warwick Vets in 2002. He moved to Ward 3 in 2013, and lives on Morse Street in Greenwood.

Both Nappa and Howe agreed that there was a reason they decided to settle down in the city.

“Our city services- that’s the reason why people come here,” Nappa said. “That’s the reason why I’ve never left. I could have bought my house anywhere. But I chose to buy in Warwick, because Warwick brings something to the table that a lot of other cities don’t. We have great city services, we have fantastic resources- we have a lot to offer.”

Nappa and Howe met through Nappa’s previous work, both as an assistant football coach at Vets while Howe’s daughter Ashley was a student there, and in security at Kent Hospital, where one of his coworkers was Howe’s wife, Anna.

Since then, the two have gotten to know each other, and Howe eventually asked Nappa to serve on the Ward 3 Ward Democratic City Committee. His advice, Howe said, has been invaluable to him in being able to serve the ward effectively.

Nappa has no prior political experience, which he views as a positive. He noted that he has always had a passion for public service, and has shown that in his current job.

“Now that I’m an attorney, we’re working with the Bar Association pretty closely to take on a lot of reduced fee clients that don’t have the resources to hire an attorney at a full rate,” Nappa said. “I selectively take some pro bono cases that I feel strongly about- mostly, those have to do with children that are in need and in dangerous situations. That’s where I try to give a little bit back to people in the community- those that can’t really advocate or fight for themselves.”

While he has not worked with them in a professional manner, Nappa has met Ward 8 Councilman Anthony Sinapi, Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur and Ward 6 Councilman Donna Travis before his decision to run.

Howe has since introduced Nappa to other council members, and said he would be available to answer any of Nappa’s questions and help him transition to becoming a councilman should he be elected.

Howe said that Nappa’s path mirrored his own in many ways, with him having served on the Ward Committee under his predecessor, State Representative Camille Vella-Wilkinson.

“It was the perfect transition [for me], and now Bryan’s ready to do that- he’s got new energy, a new vision, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Howe said. “And I say that’s what’s needed. There are too many people that think they’re the only vision- the only voice- of a ward or of a city.”

Nappa said his priorities on the council would be to make sure that city services can continue to run smoothly, as well as expanding school pathway programs to reduce the number of Warwick residents who go to public schools outside the city on the School Department’s dime.

Seeing Mickey Stevens Sports Complex revitalized is also a very high priority for Nappa, and something that is close to his heart.

“That was such an integral area of the city for me when I was a kid,” Nappa said. “It breaks my heart when I go down to the city yard to see it in the state of disrepair that it’s in.”

Also in the ward is Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport. Napa said that while he has yet to meet Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) executives, he would like to work with them to ensure that the air cargo hub currently being built and other noise from the airport has as little impact as possible on ward residents.

Howe said that over his tenure, he believes the Council has made significant material improvements to the city, and has left future councils in a strong position to make decisions to improve the city in the near future.

He cited the new fleet of garbage trucks, large number of paving projects in the city and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) projects as major and necessary improvements that have occurred during his tenure.

“We can now focus on the growth of Warwick,” Howe said. “The next phase, which I think is perfectly up Bryan’s alley, is the development of what’s going on. City Centre is flourishing. Businesses are really starting to invest in that area, you’re going to start seeing a lot of housing go up. People are coming in, the businesses are coming in- the foundation is here.”

With campaign season starting, Nappa is excited to meet Ward 3 residents he doesn’t already know as he gets ready to walk the ward in the near future.

 “I’ve been in this city my whole life,” Nappa said. “It’s important for me to bring to the table what I think is important, and what I think is important is positive growth- pushing the city further in the right direction as far as growth and expansion and being a beacon of light where people want to come. I want to help put us in a position where Warwick is the desirable city to be in.”