Should the Next Mayor be the Last Mayor for Central Falls?
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A former Mayor, a former Police Chief and a popular young Councilman have thrown their hats in the ring as candidates hoping to succeed Charles Moreau as Mayor of Central Falls, the three men announced Monday.
Moreau, who kept his title but lost control of the city when a state receiver was appointed over two years ago, resigned last week after agreeing to plead guilty to corruption charges stemming from an incident in which he received personal benefits in exchange for handing out a lucrative city contract.
Now Thomas Lazieh, a former three-term Mayor, Joseph Moran III, a Moreau ally and former Police Chief and Councilman James Diossa are all seeking to lead the embattled city as it emerges from bankruptcy.
But in a city with a 13.2 percent unemployment rate, a depleted tax base and a struggling school system, some say the next Mayor’s top priority needs to be to find a way to merge with neighboring communities, a strategy the Governor’s office has already endorsed by forming a task force to look into ways the city can share services with Pawtucket and East Providence.
“The city needs to incrementally combine forces with its neighbors,” said former State Supreme Court Justice Robert Flanders, who was replaced as the city’s state-appointed receiver by John F. McJennett III in June. “It’s in everyone’s interest to consolidate, to regionalize, to share services.”
Flanders helped oversee the city’s bankruptcy filing in August 2011 after the city was unable to achieve significant concessions from its unions and retirees. As a result, some retirees had their pensions slashed by over 50 percent, new union contracts were negotiated and taxes will increase by 20 percent over the next five years.
But Flanders maintains that the bankruptcy also breathes new life into the city, which will now have a balanced budget over the next five years. Flanders said he is against the city attempting to merge with another community “in one fell swoop,” but suggested finding a way to work with other communities could benefit all involved. It will also result in some job loss, Flanders admitted.
“There is no question that one of the savings to be had is laying off people,” Flanders said. “But many of those savings can come at the top with the higher salaries.”
“Any Moron Can Cut Jobs”
But Moran said the last thing Central Falls needs is more residents on the unemployment line. The former chief, who failed to unseat State Senator Elizabeth Crowley in last week’s Democratic primary, said he believes the city needs to take an “outside the box approach” to turning its fortunes around.
“Any moron can go and cut jobs,” he said. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or a judge to do that.”
Moran, who was the only one of three announced candidates to return a call in time for publication Monday, said he believes the city can become more attractive if it is “kept clean and kept safe.”
“Right now it’s not either of those things,” he added.
According to University of Rhode Island business professor Dr. Edward Mazze, the city needs a mayor with a business background in finance or accounting and who is able to work with diverse stakeholder groups.
“The individual must have a vision for the city that brings back its pride so that local residents and businesses are excited about the city's future,” Mazze said. “Good leadership skills are important. Regaining the confidence of town employees will be difficult but possible.”
Leadership Group Comes to Central Falls
Politics aside, Central Falls may get a boost in the leadership department from a statewide group that has focused its attention on the one-square mile city. Leadership Rhode Island, an organization that identifies and brings together the state’s top leaders from every sector, has made the city a central focus of its work over the last year.
Now Mike Ritz, the organization’s executive director, says a spinoff group called Leadership Central Falls will launch next month.
“Leadership Central Falls is a response to the need for sustainability of some of the good work that has begun during this municipal turnaround,” Ritz said. “The six-month course will explore ways to increase the community's potential for long-lasting success and empower residents to take action through our wider statewide network.”
Ritz said members of Leadership RI were informed early on that completely merging Central Falls with another city or town was probably impossible, but noted that the “exploration and possibilities” that come from shared service could be desirable for all communities.
The nonpartisan group isn’t planning to pick sides in the Mayor’s race (note: Diossa is a member of the current Leadership RI class), but Ritz said the city’s next leader must recognize the “great assets within the community and have the ability to strategically leverage those assets to benefit the whole through inspiring people within and outside of Central Falls to work together.”
“May the best visionary candidate who is honest, intelligent, capable, empathetic, far-reaching, passionate, creative, and inspiring win the election,” Ritz said.
Terrible to Go Back
Mazze agreed with Ritz, noting that even with a smaller tax base, the city can survive if it has the right leadership. Mazze said he too considers it impossible for the city to simply become a part of Pawtucket or Lincoln because those communities “have their own problems.”
Mazze said Central Falls can recover if it has better management and takes a more realistic approach to the way it does business.
“This is an opportunity for Central Falls to show that good things can happen after a bankruptcy with the right leadership,” he said. “It would be terrible to go back to a model of poor leadership, too much politics, little transparency and no financial, accounting and management controls in place.”
Dan McGowan can be reached at dmcgowan@golocalprov.com. Follow him on Twitter: @danmcgowan.
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Comments:
barnaby morse
6:41am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
LEADERSHIP RI is not endorsing Diossa even though he is a member of its current class? Yeah, right! Graduates of Leadership RI include Victor Capellan, the Assistant Superintendent of the CF school district, and Patricia Martinez, former DCYF director, who had a position created for her at the CF high school. Capellan & Martinez are intertwined with Anna Cano Morales, the President of the CF school board.
Oh what a tangled web!
Charles Beckers
8:07am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
As a headline for this article "Should the Next Mayor be the Last Mayor for Central Falls?" can only be described as intentionally misleading, at best.
Lance Chappell
8:40am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
To have 19,376 people living in a 1.2 sq.mi. area and having their property taxes go up 40% since the bankruptcy cries out for merger. What is really amazing is the state calls it a city. It is one thing to have people defend the history of their "city" but at some point, common sense has to kick in and say we need to end this nonsense and merge with a neighboring town. RI has too many municipalities for a 1,500 sq.mi. berg. The economy this state has cannot support this much government. What has happened in the past with the industrial revolution may have been able to do it but today, forget it. This state cannot compete with its neighboring states, let alone the rest of the country or the globe. It time for county government - let the mergers begin.
Ed Jucation
8:53am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
There should be no mayor period. CF should be absorbed by a surrounding community but who would want them? They have proven over the years that they are a sanctuary city who cannot take care of themselves. Time to get rid of that cesspool.
Gary Arnold
9:33am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Mr. Moran (or is it Moron) ex. police chief and 3 term mayor should be held accountable for setting CF up for its demise by his mismanagement while in control. He is the last person to put into the mayors office. While noble in his “we don’t need any more people on the street thru layoffs” it shows a lack of economic savvy and a commitment to the old days and ways that got CF into trouble.
A mayor is not what CF needs; it’s a business manager that has his job on the line based on his performance in running the city. And yes, CF should be merged into one of three or four newly formed districts that eliminate the 39 cities/towns that we have now to get rid of the redundancy and waste of tax payer dollars.
The good old days are gone and the future is going to be tougher for us all, face up to it now.
anthony sionni
11:32am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
I think cf should be merged with pawtucket.
Howard Miller
11:46am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
no the last mayor should be the last mayor for cf. as far as what to do with it give it to anyone who wants it if you can find someone. to all the decent citizens who live in cf i appoligize to you only
Joseph Davis
2:15pm on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Good luck to Councilman James Diossa. Must be hard to take over for a mayor who lied and cheated and brought the city to the brink of bankruptcy. (although in this case he actually went in to bankruptcy!) Take advice from Angel, he has experience in this area. Although, if Moreau decides to run for higher office, don’t defend him. It will ruin your credibility as it did Angel's.
John Locke
12:39pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2012
I worry if a former city employee took control of the city. Central falls just had to cut pensions and benefits, what would this ex cop do? Would he try to reinstate those benefits and possibly print the city back to bankruptcy?
The young councilor seems bright and eager to work. I like it when young people go for the tough jobs, good luck to him!
pearl fanch
7:41pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2012
If you want to get down to reality.....
Why would anyone want to be the mayor of Central Falls? That's the first question you have to ask yourself.
Secondly, Why is Central Falls still a city? This should have been divided and split up by neighboring towns and cities. The problem is, CF is such a disgrace, nobody wants any part of it.
Thirdly, Why is RI still a state? Look at the lack of leadership we've had for the past 100 years. Look at where we stand in every economical catagory. RI should be divided and split up between MA and CT. The problem is, RI is such a disgrace, nobody wants any part of it.
mother teresa
10:24pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2012
If I understand correctly, Joe Moran has never deserted this city even when he had the means to do so, Now the question that has entered my mind is...Why? Maybe he is truly sold on the thought that this city could return to the way it was many years ago and wants to die trying to achieve this impossible dream.....My question to all the people who believe that there are still good folks in this city.....WHY NOT GIVE THE MAN WHO LOVES THE CITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE CHANGE..... I sure as heck wouldn't want this challenge!!!! But he is like a man named Ralph Holden......They believe in the UNDERDOG!!!!!!!