Almost a year into his first term as a Cranston City Councilor, Andy Andujar’s plain-spoken, blunt style of politics is his way of representing the residents of Ward 3.

Originally from Providence’s Federal Hill neighborhood, Andujar began working in politics and public service around the early 2000s. He began in campaign work, then worked for former Providence Mayor and U.S. Rep. David Cicilline and James Diossa, who was the mayor of Central Falls at the time, in later years.

Since his start in politics, Andujar noted that he had always been on the administrative side – “the operator behind the scenes.” So after moving to Cranston two years ago, when he saw an opportunity for a seat on Cranston’s City Council, he went for it.

"It's been great,” Andujar said about his time on the council. “I mean, the mayor's office has been very receptive. We have a great bond on the council, a lot of bipartisanship … at the end of the day, we're just trying to move Cranston forward and do what's right for the residents.”

The role has not come without its surprises – even for someone like Andujar, who has long experience in local politics. One of them: the City Council carries more authority.

In Cranston, he says, everything has to go through channels. He said if he wanted a street plowed he would have to go through the chair of the council’s public works committee, who would then have to go through the mayor’s office for constituent affairs.

Then it would go to the director of the Public Works Department to finally get a plow driver on the street.

“In other municipalities – for instance, in Providence – the council person would just call straight the DPW director,” Andujar said.

Despite another surprise – that even at the municipal level, government is a ponderous bureaucracy – Andujar is not one to stay idle.

From joining with other council members to try to strengthen the city’s hand with landlords and other property owners to spearheading several ordinances aimed at providing financial relief to residents, Andujar’s legislative agenda for residents is just taking shape.

The ordinance entitled “Municipal Court,” co-sponsored by Councilwoman Bridget Graziano and Councilman Chris Buonanno, is to “give the city more teeth” in dealing with abandoned properties and housing violations through an adjunct to and extension of the city’s Municipal Court, Andujar said.

He explained that the housing focus is the first in a series of ordinances where he aims to improve residents’ quality of life and give back to them. 

Some of those other ordinances he hopes to implement in his term include a homestead exemption and a tax credit for seniors and military veterans and people with disabilities.

“Taxes have been going up for the last four or five years,” Andujar said. “And we have a high tax bracket … our residents are feeling the brunt of everything. So, I feel that if we could give something back to the residents, it in turns gives them a brighter approach to the future.”

In his time in office, Andujar said one of the big milestones for him was passing his first resolution as a councilman for Dominican Independence Day.

Although he was born in the United States, Andujar’s mother emigrated from the Dominican Republic, and he said it was nice to do something in return for his second culture and celebrate his family’s background.

During his two-year term, Andujar says he’d love to get a recreation center in his ward.

One way he could see that happening is by rehabbing Hugh B. Bain Middle School, citing Lillian Feinstein Elementary, Sackett Street as an example. The school uses its gym as a recreation center after school hours.

“And I feel Bain is a perfect place for it because it's in my area,” and “the gym is separate,” Andujar said. “I believe with the right amount of money; we could have our own recreation center to serve the residents and the kids of ward 3 and 2."

As Andujar continues to find his path as a councilman, one thing he continues to keep at the center of his work is his constituency, the residents and the overall ward he represents.

He does not hesitate to advocate for his Ward 3 constituents, and that’s something he says residents can continue to expect from him.

“I'm always going to speak my mind,” Andujar said. “I'm not going to rubber-stamp things. I'm going to always vote in the best interest of the residents of my ward and then the residents of the city.”