To the Editor:

I am a Democrat and a newly elected member of the Democratic Senate District Committee for District 30. I want to thank Warwick residents for electing me to this committee!

On Election Day, I along with other Democrats and independents in Warwick have an important decision to make about who will get our vote for mayor. I would like to urge Democrats and independents to consider voting for the Republican, Sue Stenhouse.

The Democrat, our current acting mayor, sat on the city council for many years. How has the council handled Warwick's budget over the past few years? Look at the condition of our schools, our fire trucks, our Public Works vehicles. Research some of the questionable decisions the council has made with respect to these issues. The council has nine members but they routinely vote as one block. There is not a single independent voice on the Council; almost every vote is 9-0. With one of these council members now sitting in the mayor's seat, there will be no dissension, no oversight, no checks and balances against the council's choices.

Sensible, money-saving initiatives have been rejected by the council for no apparent reason while at the same time the council has attempted to cut the pay of city workers whom they felt were making too much money. If our former mayor, Scott Avedisian, hadn't prevented this foolish idea, our city would have been open to costly lawsuits by employees who have negotiated their pay in good faith and have signed legal contracts to that effect. One council member recently used his position to force the DPW to block public access to Rocky Point beach by having them build a huge stone wall right down the middle of the beach. This costly and illegal wall had to be removed days later after residents complained to authorities.

I believe the members of our city council and both candidates for mayor are all good people who care about our city. They donate many hours of their time to sit through long meetings and comb through budget numbers. I appreciate what they do, but they are human and they make mistakes. I am concerned that one-party rule may not be the best thing for our lovely city. Having a mayor from the opposing party provides the balance we need to keep everyone honest and effective.

Mary Preziosi

Warwick