Election 2026: Coppins seeks reelection to Village of Lewiston Board

By Tina Coppins

I'm honored to announce I am running for reelection as your Village of Lewiston trustee. To everyone who came out to the village caucuses and cast a vote for me, thank you. Serving this community has been one of the great privileges of my life, and I am grateful for the trust you've placed in me.

Four years ago, I asked for your vote because I believed the village needed more transparency, fairness, and a hands-on approach to local government. I am asking for your support once again so that I can continue to serve this amazing community and the people who live and work here. 

My husband, Peter, and I have lived in this community for several years now, raising our two sons, and servicing the village through our volunteer work and serving on different committees and boards. We understand and acknowledge how fortunate we are to call Lewiston our home – and see it as a privilege to service the community we are so invested in and its future.

Professionally, I have spent the past two decades managing a 425,000-square-foot commercial property and balancing a multimillion-dollar budget. I see my vast array of professional experience as an asset, and hope I have the opportunity to continue servicing and sharing my knowledge to make our village the best it can be for all who live, play and work here. 

I came to this role ready to work, and that's exactly what I've done. During my first term, I focused on the issues that contributed to keeping our village strong: Voting “yes” on pursuing grants for our infrastructure; represented our community in negotiations with Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steve Broderick and his committee on the Lewiston Police Department contract; negotiated and cut down the cost for mold cleanup in the Red Brick School; and secured financial assistance from the town’s energy fund in conjunction with Broderick on replacing the windows, roof, and a door at the Lewiston Visitor Center/Chamber office.

I've learned how every decision, we the board members make, can affect the lives of all that reside and own businesses within the Village of Lewiston. What we do matters, and that is why I stand behind, and will continue to fight for, an open and transparent government. My priorities haven't changed, because I believe they are what’s right for the entire community as a whole, and not for just a select few who may benefit.

The following are a few examples of what I will continue to fight for when reelected on June 16:

•Infrastructure first. Roads, water, sidewalks and the sewer systems residents rely on every day have to come before anything else. We can't defer the basics.

•Support small business. Our shops, restaurants and family-owned businesses are the heartbeat of the village. They need a board that listens and clears obstacles, not one that creates them.

•A fiscally responsible budget. Every dollar belongs to the residents. I'll continue to scrutinize the budget line by line and make sure it reflects the village's real priorities.

There's still more to do, and here's where I want to focus in a second term:

•Open meetings, in every sense of the word. Most residents don't know when our board meetings are scheduled, even though they're posted on the village website. I want to change that. I'll push to get the equipment we need to video our board meetings so residents can watch live or on their own time. Local government should be easy to follow, not something you have to chase down.

•Reinvesting short-term rental revenue back into the village. That money should be visible in the places residents and visitors actually use. I'll propose replacing the remaining wood benches with the black metal benches already installed along Center Street, so our streetscape looks unified and cared for. 

I came into this role promising transparency, fairness, and a village government that serves the people who live, work and play here. That's still the job, and I'd be honored to keep doing it.

Please vote for me on June 16, noon to 9 p.m., at the Red Brick gym.

Thank you.