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Nesi’s Notes
1. If you’re one of the 43,000 people who live in Woonsocket, the auditor general’s new report on municipal finances is a sobering read. More than half of the city’s local tax revenue goes to retiree benefits and debt payments. The city allocates less to its schools than any other self-funding community in Rhode Island. And after covering just those three costs, there is only about $5 million left over for everything else. So while the legacy of former Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt looms large over Woonsocket’s current race for mayor, the city’s ongoing budget strains arguably loom larger. During a debate on this week’s Newsmakers , incumbent Chris Beauchamp and challenger John Ward both ruled out filing for municipal bankruptcy in order to straighten out the city’s balance sheet. “It’s a terrible burden we have to bear,” Ward said, suggesting state lawmakers could help provide some relief. Beauchamp cited the weight of the city’s 2002 pension bond — an unmitigated disaster for taxpayers — and noted it will finally be paid off in eight years. “Bankruptcy,” the mayor said, “is not the answer.” This election marks a significant inflection point for Woonsocket politics, which Baldelli-Hunt dominated for the last decade, and the mayoral contest appears competitive. Ward placed first in the September preliminary election, garnering 55% of the vote to Beauchamp’s 40%. But barely 3,000 voters cast a ballot in the first round, whereas citywide turnout this November should be well over 10,000.