Warwick needs a home rule charter

Posted 5/12/15

To the Editor:

In the last year I have attended almost every City Council meeting. I have witnessed hardworking members of the council spend hundreds of hours on legislation that they have little …

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Warwick needs a home rule charter

Posted

To the Editor:

In the last year I have attended almost every City Council meeting. I have witnessed hardworking members of the council spend hundreds of hours on legislation that they have little authority to act upon. I believe that this is one of the reasons that Warwick is in the condition it’s in. I would prefer our council be more responsible and accountable to the taxpayers of Warwick. To their defense, they are unable to. The “buck” doesn’t stop with the council like it does in many other towns and cities.

Case in point:

City Councilmen Ed Ladouceur and Joe Gallucci, spent countless hours of their time hammering out the recent sewer bill legislation, presented it to a divided council (understandably, due to both sides having a valid argument), revised it during fierce council debate and finally, after 2 years of controversy got passage of a bill that was long, long overdue. (Many thanks to you Ed and Joe.)

But instead of a statue being erected to honor their efforts, (OK, maybe that’s a bit much) all they got is the knowledge that they wrote “advisory legislation” that the R.I. General Assembly has the final say on.

I have written before that “This is our city!” but it’s not. Not yet. If Warwick had a Home Rule Charter we would have the final word, not the General Assembly. And Warwick would live under our own rule, not under the thumb of the General Assembly. (Even Richmond has it!)

Folks, support this idea. It’s a giant step toward independence and 80,000 Warwick Taxpayers will benefit from it.

This is our city and the home rule charter will be our legislation.

Richard Corrente

Running for Mayor

of Warwick in 2016

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