By Chris Keegan
The Sun Staff
CHARLESTOWN – In the eyes of Charlestown Citizens Alliance President Daniel Slattery, Councilor James M. Mageau ’s agenda is clear: he’s pro-gambling, pro-development, anti-environment and antiopen space.
“It’s a dysfunctional council,” Slattery said of the current political environment in Charlestown. “It’s a situation where citizens are bullied and criticized, and have had frivolous criminal complains filed against them – none of which have been proven true.” Organized at the beginning of 2007 in opposition to a council decision to remove public comment from an agenda, and the hiring of Town Administrator Edward M. Barrett and Town Solicitor Robert E.
Craven without an open search for candidates, the Charlestown Citizens Alliance has served as a resounding presence at council meetings and in local newspapers through letter writing campaigns.
Since its inception, the public interest organization has become a registered ballot advocacy group that has taken its fight to court in support of moves to recall Mageau through a special election, reduce Barrett’s monthly salary to $300, hire an assistant town administrator at an annual cost of $80,000 and appropriate $500,000 for a modest seasonal beach pavilion at Blue Shutters town beach. The group is currently led by a total of 15 steering committee members – including former Planning Commission alternate Faith LaBossiere, Zoning Board member Milton Krantz and his wife Bernice, Thomas DePatie and Leo Minelli.
The presence of the group’s founder and former Republican Senatorial aide John J. Goodman, however, diminished seemingly overnight.
“John had to step down due to a busy work load and commitments with his family,” Slattery said. “He’s still a CCA member, but he’s simply not an officer.”
Despite Goodman’s diminished role, Slattery – a retired federal budget officer and a relative newcomer to Charlestown – said the original mission of the group remains unchanged. Its membership reportedly totaled around 200 earlier this summer.
“The focus of the organization is still the same,” he said. “Our missions and goals are still same. They are to promote good government in Charlestown, open government with full public participation and creation of sound public policy.”
From Mageau ’s initial support for the reduction of Indian Affairs Solicitor Joseph S. Larisa Jr.’s non-litigation stipend, to his opposition to the town’s Route 1 Scenic Corridor Ad-hoc Committee, Slattery and other CCA members believe Mageau ’s work on the council over the last year has been on behalf of pro-development clients.
“It’s pretty clear what his agenda is,” Slattery said. “It’s not a secret.”
Mageau , however, said the group’s claims are unsupported.
“I demand they show or produce the records from Town Hall that would document that I have any clients,” he said.
In a chronology of events that CCA steering committee member took to local newspapers last month, the group detailed 18 actions by Mageau over the course of the last 13 months that they believe is an affront to the citizens of the town and warrants his removal from office. “Despite Mr. Mageau and company being found by the Attorney General’s Office of breaking the Open Meetings Law (three times), and numerous violations against the town charter that justify his removal from office, he continues to pursue an agenda against the citizens without any consequences,” committee members wrote. “If the town charter had a process for a recall election, these three councilors (Mageau , Picard and Craig) would have been removed a long time ago and Mr.
Barrett and Mr. Craven would have been fired and an honest and open search for replacements would be conducted.”
Charlestown’s Home Rule Charter does not have a process to formally recall members of the town council. The town’s Charter Revision Committee, on which Slattery is a member, is expected to begin discussions on a recall provision on Dec.
17.
According to Rhode Island Board of Elections filings, the group – which is organized in support of a special election to remove Mageau and other council member from office – reported having $4,428 in its coffers, as of Oct. 31.
The group, which received a surge of contributions totaling $4,010 in August, has spent $5,027 to date on legal support for their cause in the form of payments to Providence attorney Carolyn A. Mannis – who has represented Councilor Harriet A.
Allen in previous legal matters.
“When the next election comes, citizens need to pay attention to the quality of candidates who are running for office,” the chronology reads. “An all out effort will be needed to ensure that Mageau , Craig and Picard are not only defeated but none of their friends or cronies are elected, either.
The new town council will have to undo the damage caused by Mageau and company and restore citizen trust and faith and reintroduce good government and appreciation for citizen participation in Charlestown.”
“We need responsible citizens to step up to the place and run for Charlestown Town Council, as well as volunteer to the commissions and apply to fill important positions at Town Hall.”
Should CCA seek to raise money for political candidates in 2008, Slattery said it would register as a political action committee (PAC).
“For us to change, we would have to change our affiliation as an organization,” he said. “There have been no discussions on that.
We’re focused on the original mission of the organization.
We’re not focused on the election or candidates.”
“We’re going to continue to monitor council actions as well as (local board and) commission activities in an effort to ensure that government is open and allows for full public participation,” Slattery added.
ckeegan@thewesterlysun.com