WARWICK, RI — Incumbent independent Mayor Frank Picozzi is in the 2024 Mayor’s race Nov. 5 seeking a second term, the first four-year term for the office.
The self-employed home improvement contractor was first elected in 2020 while running against the late Mayor Joseph Solomon. Picozzi served as Mayor through COVID-19 pandemic, and has maintained an historically robust, proactive and interactive social media presence on his Facebook page, informing the public of noteworthy, routine and emergency events in the city.
Warwick Post posed the following questions to each of the three Warwick mayoral candidates on the ballot, giving each the same amount of time, five days, to respond with their answers. Candidates were urged to answer the questions directly, and invited to elaborate on each topic after answering the initial question. The answers have been edited for style and spelling, to ensure responses remain on-topic, and do not introduce misinformation into the debate.
All the questionnaires have been posted within the same five-minute window, with a digital dice roll assigning the order each set of answers run on the site, and thus, their order in the daily newsletter.
Here are Warwick Post’s questions, and Picozzi’s answers:
2024 Mayor’s Race: Picozzi Answers
2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 1A: The recent sexual harassment lawsuit against the city alleges disregard for the city’s sexual harassment policy among staff and managers. Warwick Post reporting on the city’s sexual harassment policy shows it does not provide for verification of receipt of the policy or routine reminders for cIity personnel. However, the people involved in the suit had been sent the policy and/or attended training to combat sexual harassment six months prior to the start of events alleged in the lawsuit: https://warwickpost.com/supervisors-in-suit-trained-on-sexual-harassment-months-before/
PICOZZI: On advice of attorneys, no comment on answers 1A through 1C while there is an active lawsuit.
2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 1B: Warwick Post received information on the policy and its distribution to managers – public information – after a public records request following unanswered requests to the mayor’s office, weeks later. Mayor Picozzi has declined comment on the issue, citing legal concerns. Does Warwick’s mayor have a responsibility to comment to the public generally about the sexual harassment policy, and the communication of it to staff? How would you handle such situations?
PICOZZI: On advice of attorneys, no comment on answers 1A through 1C while there is an active lawsuit.
2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 1C: Please share any other thoughts you have on this.
PICOZZI: On advice of attorneys, no comment on answers 1A through 1C while there is an active lawsuit.
2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 2A: What is the most important thing you intend to do to aid small businesses in the city?
PICOZZI: Last year the General Assembly passed a law exempting $50,000 of tangible property tax for small business. This means that a great percentage of our small businesses no longer have to pay. My administration has worked hard to bring more than a thousand residential units to the city which means more consumers to support our small businesses. In addition we’ve been promoting tourism. I also use my social media presence to promote businesses. On a personal level, I always shop local.
WARWICK POST QUESTION 3A: The FY25 budget projected $1.3M in revenue from the city’s new traffic camera program. Mayor Frank Picozzi noted during budget discussions, “This was never meant to be a revenue generator. It’s a side benefit of them.” What is the most appropriate use of this revenue?
PICOZZI: All revenue goes into the general fund and is budgeted approximately.
2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 3B: Please share any other thoughts you have on this topic.
PICOZZI: The city does not have designated accounts. All revenue is treated the same whether it is revenue from rescues, permit fees, etc.
2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 4A: In 2022, the RIAG’s office ruled the original digital records detailing WFD sick time taken by firefighters between 2013 and 2018 that cost the city up to $368,000, produced for the city by Marcum, belonged to Marcum and not the public, and therefore were not subject to the RI Access to Public Records Act, leaving the public to enter the information manually from the printed report for digital analysis: https://warwickpost.com/city-doesnt-have-to-produce-fire-sick-time-file-says-ag/
Should future reports of this sort commissioned to third parties include the digital records produced?
PICOZZI: The study was commissioned before I became Mayor. I had also requested the digital work but was denied.
2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 4B: What is your opinion of how this information was released to the public?
PICOZZI: As I stated, I wanted the work documents but could not receive them.
2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 4C Please share any other thoughts you have on this topic.
Picozzi: Picozzi did not elaborate on this topic.
The city of Warwick has listed polling places by precinct on Board of Canvassers website.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at editor@warwickpost.com with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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