WOONSOCKET – It’s the letter that’s sent political reverberations throughout the city a few days before the Nov. 3 election, with local elected leaders achieving a rare mostly unified front.
On Wednesday, 15 local elected officials signed onto a letter vehemently opposing the prospects of former Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt returning to the public service with a seat on the City Council. It was published here and in a mailing to residents.
Among other concerns, the 15 referenced the independent findings of an investigation by U.S. Attorney Aaron Weisman concerning Baldelli-Hunt’s unscrupulous land deal involving her close friends, as well as the huge cost of taxpayer-funded settlements and payouts associated with lawsuits during her tenure.
But three names were notably absent from the letter: Council President Dan Gendron, who is running for mayor and previously served as mayor for a short time after the council removed Baldelli-Hunt from office, incumbent Mayor Chris Beauchamp, a former ally of Baldelli-Hunt’s running against Gendron, and Councilor Valerie Gonzalez, another former ally of the ex-mayor.
(Joseph Jabotte is running a write-in bid for mayor as well)
Baldelli-Hunt must only come in the top seven among 13 candidates on Nov. 3, and many political voices in the city expect that she’ll finish well enough to win a seat.
The absence of those names on the letter has drawn questioning and criticism from various corners.
Reached by The Local Insider Thursday and asked about why he wasn’t part of the letter, Beauchamp said, “my name is not on it because I chose not to be on it.” He said he’s not going to cause any more controversies, and will work with everyone who wins a seat on the council.
Also reached Thursday, Gendron said that when discussion about the letter started, it was about solidarity across the entire city political spectrum. When he heard that Beauchamp and Gonzalez had taken their names off of it, he said, and realizing he was going head-to-head with Beauchamp instead of several people being in the race, he was advised that there was no upside to having his name included. He said it was more a reaction to the decision by Beauchamp and Gonzalez than anything.
Asked if he still opposes Baldelli-Hunt returning to city government, Gendron said, “I don’t know that it will help the city.” He said it’s unfortunate that the entire situation has gotten to this point.
Beauchamp, for a story earlier this week, said he and Baldelli-Hunt no longer have a friendship of any kind. He said that a return of the former mayor will “not be good for the city of Woonsocket,” adding that she started her administration out well, but “in the end it was bad.”
Gendron is being supported by local developer Greg Rice, a close friend and work associate of Baldelli-Hunt’s.
Comments from Gonzalez will be added if she responds to our request for comment.
