Woonsocket City Council to Vote on Two Transparency & Accountability Measures Monday

Woonsocket City Council to Vote on Two Transparency & Accountability Measures Monday

Woonsocket City Councilor Alex Kithes has introduced two governmental transparency and accountability measures.

As GoLocalProv reported back in December, Attorney General Peter Nerona filed a lawsuit against the Woonsocket City Council alleging that they willfully or knowingly violated the Rhode Island Open Meetings Act (OMA).

"Council Good and Welfare is a vague, nontransparent agenda item. It is unnecessary to the functioning of the council, risks regular violations of the Open Meetings Act, and is now frivolously costing our taxpayers money." He believes that "it's time to eliminate Good and Welfare of the Council in the spirit of good, open, transparent government, and to protect our city from further costly litigation and penalties,” said Kithes.

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The measures will be voted on at Monday’s regular meeting of the Woonsocket City Council.

The Measures

The first measure would remove Good and Welfare of the City Council from the council's agenda of business going forward.

The move comes after Neronha filed a lawsuit against the Woonsocket City Council.

The council is being accused of repeatedly violating the state's Open Meetings Act, in conversations that took place during Good and Welfare of the Council at three separate meetings last year.

The lawsuit requests a court order, preventing the City Council from using an improper agenda item, and civil penalties.

The second measure would update the city's website to include direct links to the campaign finance reports of every elected official that represents any or all citizens of Woonsocket - from the School Committee, all the way up to the President.