Meet John
Councilor John P. Donegan (D, Ward 3), was elected to his first term on the Cranston City Council in November 2018, and re-elected in 2020.
John was born June 19, 1990, in Queens, NY, and shortly thereafter moved back to his Mother’s hometown, Cranston, when his parents secured teaching jobs at local public schools. Growing up in Cranston John was involved in CLCF sports, Boy Scouts, and was a parishioner of St. Ann’s Church. He graduated from La Salle Academy in 2009, and earned a degree in History and Philosophy from Assumption College, in Worcester, MA in 2013. He worked as a camp counselor at the Cranston YMCA every summer during college, and upon graduating took a year off from school to run a program for the YMCA at the Eleanor Slater Hospital complex. John went back to school and earned his Master’s degree in American and Modern European History from Providence College in 2016. John teaches high school history, government, and sociology. John and his wife Laura, a high school science teacher, bought their home in the Stadium neighborhood in 2017, where they live with their dog Simon. Picture: John, Laura, and Simon on the bike path.
John became involved with local politics following the 2016 elections. He regularly attended Council meetings, and spoke out on issues he is passionate about, such as preserving open space, and a transparent democratic process; supporting responsible development and zoning, opposing an ordinance to criminalize poverty, and advocating to prohibit guns in schools. When the City Council seat for Ward 3, the part of the City John has called home since he was 9, opened up in 2018, John jumped in the race to bring fresh new ideas to City government. Running on the promise to seek compassionate solutions to the issues facing our City, and fueled by grassroots support, John was elected to the City Council in November 2018, and inaugurated in January 2019. At 28, he was the youngest person elected to the Cranston City Council in decades. Picture: John with City Councilmembers Jessica Marino, Lammis Vargas, and Aniece Germain all wearing orange in support of gun violence prevention.
During his first two terms on the Council, John has continuously fought for policies to improve the lives of working class people in our community. John has focused on both systemic, and minute neighborhood issues, such as increasing rodent control enforcement, addressing speeding, and organizing many neighborhood cleanups. He believes that housing is a human right, and has fought for policies to ensure safe, affordable housing for everyone. John helped secure increased funding for the schools and doubled funding for the City’s rental assistance program for low-income residents. Together with then-Councilman Steve Stycos, and teachers, John helped create the community garden at Arlington Elementary School. He is currently working to establish a splash pad in Ward 3, and reduce health disparities as a member of the Cranston Health Equity Zone. John cares deeply about our environment and combating climate change, and was the co-lead sponsor on the Cranston plastic bag ban, as well as a $5m climate bond to invest in green energy and energy conservation. Picture: John and Laura during one of the many community clean ups John has organized.
When the Covid-19 pandemic first started John worked to connect volunteers with people in need by organizing a mutual aid group, and introduced a package of proposals to protect taxpayers and support our local economy. John has pushed back against irresponsible fiscal policy, and voted against a nearly 3% tax increase in 2022. He believes that our government should be accessible and transparent to every Cranston resident, and has kept his promise to hold monthly community meetings throughout his two terms to bring neighbors together to discuss the issues at hand and work collaboratively to identify solutions. Picture: John and community members discussing issues at one of his monthly community meetings (join the newsletter to get info on upcoming events!).
John is fighting to create a more just, equitable, and resilient Cranston. As a City Councilor, he promises to continue to:
Champion policies that support working families and marginalized communities.
Address our housing crisis by working to ensure safe, affordable housing for every resident.
Strengthen our schools into more enriching and safer places of learning.
Endorse responsible planning that respects our neighborhoods and creates a more livable city.
Work to protect our environment, combat climate change, and increase open space.
Focus on quality of life issues such as infrastructure, blight, and creating a more cohesive community.
Support a better framework to grow our local economy and boost small businesses.
Promote policies to create a healthier, more resilient community.
Be honest, accessible, accountable, and transparent.