“Newport for Locals First”
for Newport City Council
MARK ARAMLI
Meet Mark
I am running for City Council to ensure a bright quality of life for all Newporters.
Some of you know of me as “the BedJet Guy”. I am an entrepreneur, an engineer and a local business owner. I am also father of 3 young children all born in Newport Hospital, as well a tenacious and relentless fighter for causes I believe in.
Nine years ago, I launched the BedJet company from my kitchen table in a small apartment in downtown Newport. When appearing on Shark Tank, I was told the business would fail and was “dead already”. Through a combination of passion, sweat and good business sense, I grew my company brick by brick into a highly successful global brand now sold in 40 countries. All using Newport local talent and Newport local gumption.
The City of Newport and the quality of life and well-being it provides for all of us is another cause I believe in deeply. I’m running for City Council because I want to bring that very same level of passion, ingenuity, tenaciousness and strong business capability to Newport city government as I have to my business life.
My wife and I, along with our three children, are thankful to call Newport home. We want to do our part to preserve and improve our community. As your City Councilor, I will put my experience to work to ensure all Newporters have a bright future to look forward to for generations to come. I am a middle of the road independent and have never been registered with either Republican or Democrat parties.
Mark’s a family man
Raising a family with 3 little Newporters in it has given me a longer-term perspective on the Newport I want them growing up in. Caring about the well-being of not just my own children, but all of the children in our community, has become a priority for me. I will ensure strong educational systems, a safe and secure city, and high-quality local job prospects for the next generation of Newporters.
Trusted by Newporters,
including two former Mayors
Former Mayor of Newport
Harry Winthrop
“Mark is a great candidate for City Council and would bring exceptional capability and judgement to the role. Newport’s future would be in great hands with Mark. I fully endorse him for City Council.”
Former Mayor of Newport
Richard Sardella
“Mark is a great choice for City Council. Newport would be in safe hands with Mark on Council. I strongly endorse Mark and he has my support.”
Mark invests in our community
Being a contributing resident of Newport was important to me long before ever considering participation in City Council. In the early months of COVID when N95 protective masks became critically unavailable, I directed BedJet to supply many thousands of them free of charge to our local police, fire and health care workers, donated to ensure their safety.
Images: N95 masks donated to Newport Police Department, Newport Hospital and South County Hospital, and the Newport Lions Club.
I believe community service and giving back to help those less fortunate is one of life’s most noble endeavors. For several years now, BedJet has been taking a percentage of every globally sold BedJet and funneling that money into local Newport community support organizations serving our underprivileged neighbors and families in need, through our Aramli Foundation.
In the last year and a half, we’ve been able to contribute over $200,000 to local Newport community support organizations like MLK Community Center, Child & Family, Boys and Girls Club, Newport Mental Health, Bike Newport and many others. I was surprised to learn this far exceeded the City of Newport’s own funding support to these organizations, which is something I would work to change as a City Council member.
BedJet and the Aramli Foundation also sponsor an ongoing a series of free lunches and dinners at the MLK Community Center in Newport, catered by local fine dining restaurants like Vieste, Midtown Oyster Bar and Speakeasy. Food is joy and we were so happy to enable this joyful experience to MLK food pantry clients while also providing a small boost to local Newport restaurants who struggled during COVID.
We also sponsor ongoing free ice cream truck visits for the children’s programs at the MLK Community Center.
Mark’s Community Service Awards
Martin Luther King Jr.
Community Center
Keeper of the Dream
Community Partner of 2022
Child & Family RI
Community Partner of the Year 2021
Mark and Ida Aramli with Child & Family RI CEO Marty Sinnott.
Priorities for the city we all love
MIDDLE CLASS HOUSING
Newport doesn’t just have a housing affordability problem; we have a housing affordability crisis. Locals with good jobs are being forced to leave Newport, heartbroken they can no longer afford to rent or buy here. I will push for policies that add to our stock of affordable middle class housing and keep rent from spiraling upward.
LOWER TAXES
There is a special magic on this island and we recognize the vital role visitors and summer renters play in bringing vibrancy to our city and tourism dollars to support our economy. Yet full-time residents bear the brunt of taxes that support city services required for destination cities like ours. It’s time to give year-round residents a break and let the visitors pay their fair share.
HOME OWNER RIGHTS
Newport is mired with incredibly long wait times for home owners needing zoning board or historic district permitting. The City’s historic district review process has become so difficult and inconsistent that property owners are forced to hire expensive attorneys to navigate the process. I will push to streamline and speed up these City’s processes and bring a more common-sense balance the very basic and sacred rights of Newport property owners to simply repair, improve and enjoy our own homes.
CITY FINANCES
My experience in growing large businesses that require profitable operation gives me the depth and financial expertise needed to keep a watchful eye on our taxpayer money. I will relentlessly pursue areas of waste and ensure we get the most out of every single penny we pay into city government.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is real and our oceanfront city is vulnerable to rising ocean tides. I am confounded by the recent anti-solar City of Newport policies. Homeowners wanting green energy are often denied by the City on even non-historic homes. I will seek to balance preserving the historic character of Newport with modern green energy technologies that will keep our city above water.
JOBS
Newport needs more business friendly policies to attract and retain new high-paying 21st century jobs that aren’t only hospitality related. I’m a proven job creator and will bring particular strength to Newport in this area.
INFRASTRUCTURE & TRANSPORT
Drinking water we can’t drink, outrageous water bills, crumbling infrastructure and traffic snarls aren’t something Newport locals deserve. We can do better with improved planning for bike and pedestrian traffic, more synchronized traffic lights and better public transit. I will also ensure smart use of state and federal resources for major infrastructure projects.
EDUCATION
I will advocate for strong educational programs to ensure bright futures for all children in our communities. Higher pay for teachers and a focus on improving our underperforming school system test scores are key.
SAFETY
Open-pipe motorcycle noise is out of control, and we need better neighborhood enforcement. Feeling safe in your neighborhood is essential. Did you know Newport ranks in the bottom third of cities in America when it comes to crime? I will push to increase focus on public safety programs to keep every part of our city secure while ensuring our law enforcement professionals respect citizen rights.
Vote for me for City Council and I will focus on positive change.
I will fight to represent your interests, I will listen to your concerns, and I will ensure common business sense prevails in Newport city government.
More about Mark
Mark Aramli has resided in Newport for 14 years. Mark is a family man, having met his wife Ida in Newport. Together they have three children aged 5, 3 and 3, all born at Newport Hospital.
Mark has dedicated himself to philanthropic causes in the Newport community, launching the Aramli Foundation in 2020. The Aramli Foundation is fueled by revenue of the BedJet company and has a mandate to support Newport area underprivileged families with children in need. Foundation funding to date has climbed to over $200,000 for local community support organizations.
Mark has over 22 years of business experience growing technology-oriented companies at a management level. Mark currently serves as CEO of the BedJet company, a global sleep technology company he founded in Newport in 2013.
Prior to BedJet, Mark held executive level roles at a variety of climate oriented green energy technology companies. This includes a Vice President role at a Capstone Green Energy, a NASDAQ listed company. Mark’s first job out of engineering school was as a junior engineer on the NASA spacesuit program. During his later years as an engineer, Mark helped BMW create their first hydrogen-powered car, contributed to development of the very first hybrid-electric city buses, and helped launch the first biogas-to-energy plant in Europe using microturbine technology.
Mark is a prolific inventor and problem solver, having been awarded 16 patents. Mark earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Connecticut and an MBA with concentration in Finance from Rensselaer Polytechnic University.
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