Mayor Frank Picozzi’s decision to run for reelection was never really in question, yet the banquet hall of Chelo’s Bar and Grille on Post Road in Warwick was packed Wednesday  with supporters anxious to shake the mayor’s hand and to hear his remarks.

When he took the podium, after thanking his team, Picozzi began in earnest with a statement that would become a theme of the speech: the assertion that despite his title, the mayor, who would be running again as an independent, sees little in common between him and those who make careers out of politics. “I’ve been Mayor of Warwick for 1,156 days,” he said. “And I've enjoyed each and every one of them, and they've all been very productive. But being mayor was never a goal of mine. I wasn't involved in politics, and I really wanted no part of it or politicians, and I still don't.”

He spoke at length about what he saw as the sorry state of Warwick’s public services when he took office.

“When we got here, we had problems picking up the trash,” he said. “We need 12 to 14 trucks to complete our routes and on some days we were rolling out three or four and picking up trash until 10 o'clock at night. That was horrible for both the citizens and the workers, but the workers came through for us. We were borrowing other towns’ backup fire trucks and rescues because ours were broken down and unreliable.”

But through the administration’s liberal application of state and federal grants, totaling $65 million invested into the city infrastructure, Picozzi said the needs of Warwick’s present and its future have been addressed.

“We purchased fire apparatus, police vehicles, garbage trucks, pickup trucks, tractors, lots of equipment so that we can improve the quality of service to our residents the service that they deserve,” he said.

Picozzi spoke of the work and the tens of millions of dollars invested in the city’s infrastructure, between paving and work on the sewer system. He singled out the Bayside Sewer Project, which he said after three decades of work will be complete in 2024.

Back above ground, Picozzi spoke with pride of the businesses that have chosen to make their home in Warwick during his administration.

New Warwick businesses

 “In the past three years we've issued over 200 certificates of occupancy to new businesses that have opened in Warwick.”

Picozzi described the city’s economic development as “targeted.” He took a moment to set a certain rumor to bed.

“There is not a Costco coming here,” he said. “We determined that three years ago.”

One particular target had Picozzi especially excited. “City Center,” he said. “The dream that started in the 90’s. It sat there mostly dormant. They're starting to come now, it’s starting to blossom.”

He took time to tabulate not just the businesses coming to Warwick, but the homes as well.

“We've focused on housing,” he said. “We have probably one thousand apartment units coming in the near future… The former Sheraton that everyone asked for, that's going to be workforce housing, they're going to be apartments.”

“Warwick is known as the place to come because there are no games played here,” he said. Everyone's on an even keel. You don't know a guy, everyone knows the same guy. And we've done this without giving any tax breaks of favors to anyone.”

He includes the larger players in the city like the Rhode Island Airport Corporation.

 “When I felt that the Airport Corporation was pushing the city around, I fought back. No one had ever stood up to them the way I did, and I was told I should really back off, I was messing with some very powerful people. But I stood my ground and I won.”

He acknowledged criticisms he faced during his original run for mayor regarding his lack of formal education, but countered those critiques with his ability to learn, and what he calls his “rock-hard, good old-fashioned blue collar work ethic.”

“Before I became mayor, I had a very simple life,” he said. “I was a contractor. I enjoyed working with my hands. I remodeled houses, I made them beautiful. I took a lot of pride in my work and I love that kind of work. Being out in the sun all day, interacting with my customers, I loved it.”

He continued, “I spent a lot of time with my family. I coached kids sports, I helped with charities and I worked on the Christmas display you may have heard of. And I have to say it was a very peaceful life and I have to tell you, it calls to me often. It calls me back.”

Picozzi won’t be stepping back though. He said he is invested in confounding those in Rhode Island politics who don’t see Picozzi as one of them.

“In the state’s political scene, I'm an outsider,” he said. “There's a lot of events I don’t even get invited to and when I am I'm not asked to join the group photos usually and when I do I get cropped out.”

Possible challenger

Picozzi sees his likely challenger as Democrat City Council President  Stephen McAllister, as just one more attempt to oust a political outsider. In a story in last week’s Beacon, McAllister said he is a run for mayor this year as an option. House Speaker J. Joseph Shekarchi and Gov. Dan McKee are co-hosting a fundraiser March 19 at the Crowne Plaza. 

“The state politicians have been recruiting a candidate to take me out for quite a while because they don't like that they can't get inside the city, and apparently they found I pissed off a lot of powerful people and they want me out of here. Do they care about how well the city is being run? No. They care that they have no power or influence here. Everything in politics is about money and power. I don’t talk to lobbyists or special interest groups and I don’t do favors, and they hate me for it.”

“I've been asked to join that club,” he continued. “I've been asked to join the party and I refuse because I don't want to be part of it. Anyone who expects me to kiss their ring can kiss my ass.”

He concluded with a promise to continue being a mayor for Warwick

“I’m the 17th mayor of this city and I wasn’t elected by special interest groups, lobbyists, union leaders or the rich and powerful,” he said. “I was elected by the people. That’s who I fight for, that’s who I stand up for, and I’m always going to, whether I’m alone or not. I never back down from a fight and I’m going to give these politicians a fight they’re never going to believe, and they’ve got to worry about how many of them I’m going to take out in this election.”

From one mayor to another

One of the first to congratulate Picozzi was the Mayor of neighboring Cranston, Kenneth Hopkins. Hopkins, one of the state’s only Republican mayors, along with his chief of staff Anthony Moretti, two Cranston city council-members Nicole Renzulli, and Christopher Paplauskas, as well as former Cranston city councilman Ed Brady, stood close by Picozzi’s podium during the speech.

“We've worked together on a lot of things,” Hopkins said of his partnership with Picozzi. “We talk all the time. We call each other all the time. If I have an issue on the Warwick side of Cranston, I call him and we talk about it just the same as I do with Brett Smiley in Providence. We work together on a lot of issues, especially infrastructure.”

Hopkins spoke somberly about a time when he and Picozzi needed to work together in the aftermath of a drowning, to which both Cranston and Warwick first responders came.

“Our dive team went over and so I went,” Hopkins recalled. “And I met Frank on the beach and we consoled the parents.”

Hopkins says he and Picozzi share a city first philosophy to governing.

“The thing I like about him the most is he cares about Warwick,” Hopkins said.”  No matter who takes that job, nobody's gonna care about it more than he does. And that's half the battle. You know, what he said tonight was right on. You do what's best for the city that you’re running. I’ve said that from day one in Cranston.”