State Supreme Court halts hearing to potentially remove Woonsocket mayor from office

WOONSOCKET, R.I. (WLNE) — Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt has won her first battle in her attempt to stave off a bid to remove her from office.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court issued a motion to stay on the Woonsocket City Council’s special meeting Thursday night to potentially remove the mayor from office.

The state Supreme Court granted the motion on the complaint to remove Baldelli-Hunt and now the matter will be heard Thursday Sept. 22 to see if the petition can move forward.

Attorneys for the mayor said they will not comment on the pending legal matter but did offer a statement on her behalf.

“We do want the citizens of the City of Woonsocket who have elected Mayor Baldelli-Hunt over and over again (in 2013, 2016, 2018, 2020) to rest assured that the Mayor will continue to dutifully serve as Mayor of this great city and she looks forward to championing the city forward for the remainder of this term and her new upcoming term commencing on December 6, 2022 and running through 2024,” the attorneys said in the statement.

The formal call to remove Baldelli-Hunt from office came after Councilor Denise Sierra filed a complaint against the mayor Sept. 6 arguing she was not executing her duties of office.

Some of the direct complaints was the mayor was offering health-care benefits to a part-time employee who does not qualify for them and that she was not honoring a contract with the police union that was signed into effect.

Baldelli-Hunt has denied the allegations.

Council President Dan Gendron acknowledged the stay and said Thursday night’s meeting will go on to inform residents of the state Supreme Court’s decision.