Town Councilmen Resigned, Protest Redacted Invoices

COVENTRY, RI — Tomorrow’s Coventry Town Council meeting will be short Dist. 3 and and Dist. 5 representatives after the two Town Councilmen resigned Monday, protesting stonewalled attempts to access un-redacted invoices for Town Solicitor Stephen Angell’s services.

Councilwoman Hilary Lima says the redactions are legal exemptions under the state’s Access to Public Records Act for negotiations. Also, she said, Copley and LeBlanc previously voted for the contract in unanimous votes, and have attempted to put the issue on the Council agenda even though it has already been discussed during previous meetings. Copley has also threatened her over the matter, which She and Council Vice President JP Verducci have reported to the Coventry Police.

Councilman Scott Copley and Dist. 5 Councilman James LeBlanc’s names had been removed from the Coventry Town Council contact web page Monday night, and each posted resignation letters they had submitted earlier that day to the Coventry Town Clerk.

Councilmen Resigned, protest incomplete access to solicitor invoices

During his successful Dist. 3 Coventry Town Council run, Scott Copley said he wanted to challenge politicians who don’t listen to the people, which he says he can do better now that he’s resigned.

“It is with deep regret, that I can no longer serve on this corrupt Town Council. One that allows willfull violations of the Home rule Charter and State law. This Town Council also allows Solicitor Angell to run wild and do whatever he wants. Vice President Verducci along with the Solicitor tried to make false allegations against me saying I was threatening President Lima. I believe being off the Council I can serve the taxpayers better and hold this Town Council accountable for their actions,” Copley wrote on Facebook Monday night.

In addition to resigning from the Town Council, LeBlanc also resigned from his positions as Chairman of the Coventry Sewer Subcommittee, as member the Coventry Municipal Fire Commission, and as member of the Coventry Finance Committee.

“Please know I tried my best for the taxpayers and residents of this town. We have a great town – hope someone will run in District 3 that will not only represent District 3, but all residents and taxpayers,” LeBlanc wrote on his own Facebook page, sharing a letter he had also submitted to the Town Clerk.

Both Town Councilmen resigned after stalled attempts to access un-redacted versions of invoices submitted by Coventry Town Solicitor Stephen Angell, who earned local praise and headlines leading the public domain taking of Johnson’s Pond in 2024.

In LeBlanc’s resignation letter, he repeats his concern, raised during the March 11  and March 25 meetings, that the Town Solicitor contract has provisions directly violating the Coventry Home Rule Town Charter.  “Yet no action has been taken by this Council to rectify the violations,” LeBlanc wrote.

LeBlanc said that Angell’s engagement letter prohibits Coventry’s Treasurer/Finance Director from being able to review the unredacted invoices as required by Coventry’s Home Rule Charter, Section 10.14 (e) which states: “pre–audit all bills, invoices, payrolls and other evidence of claims or charges against the town and see that budget appropriations are not exceeded by any disbursements in any department, office, or agency of the town, including the School Department“.

LeBlanc’s letter also stated that the “Town Solicitor, per the audited FY2023 financial statements, was over-budget by $352,064. The Legal Department’s FY2024 approved budget was $486,000, while actual FY2024 expenses per internal financial statements ballooned to $898,395, resulting in the Legal Department being over-budget again by an astronomical $412,395.”

LeBlanc wrote that Council President Hilary Lima, by allowing this violation of the charter, and refusing to address it, had invoked another provision, section 3.04, titled “Forfeiture of Office,” which says, “A Council member shall forfeit office if the member (1) lacks, at any time during the term of office, any qualifications for the office prescribed by this Charter, or by law; (2) violates any express provision of this Charter; or (3) is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude.” 

Clearly, LeBlanc wrote, “The Council President remains on the Town Council, despite Coventry’s Home Rule Charter section 3.04 demanding her forfeiture of office. The Council President is the only person in Coventry currently reviewing and approving the unredacted invoices from the Town Solicitor on a monthly basis for at least the past two years – per the current and former Angell Law, LLC engagement letters – an administrative duty, which violates Coventry’s Home Rule Charter section 3.08; the consequence for violations is undeniably addressed in Charter section 3.04.”

Copley echoed LeBlanc’s misgivings, including the Council’s refusal to put their concerns on the meeting agendas, listing that among the reasons the councilmen resigned.

“I am deeply concerned by the persistent failure to place critical items on the Town Council agenda. These requests have been ignored in blatant violation of the rules and regulations that govern our work. Among the items disregarded are those addressing clear violations of Home Rule Charter Article III, Section 3.08, where President Lima has taken on administrative duties by reviewing and remitting unredacted invoices from the Solicitor,” he  wrote.

“This is not only a breach of protocol but also a direct violation of Section 10.14, item E, which mandates that all bills, invoices, and payrolls be reviewed by the Finance Director for audit before payment. Currently, the Finance Director is only reviewing redacted invoices, undermining the transparency and accountability that our residents deserve,” Copley  wrote in his resignation letter as both councilmen resigned.

When reached Tuesday morning, Lima noted the redactions spelled out in the contract had been previously approved by Copley and Leblanc in a unanimous vote. But, she said, the redactions to the invoices have been made to protect the town’s legal negotiations with parties during Angell’s work. Such redactions fall under exemptions to disclosure allowed under the state Access to Public Records Act.

Also, Lima said that last week, Copley spoke on the phone with  Verducci about his attempts to put the matter on the agenda, which the full council had already discussed on at least three previous occasions. During the call, Lima said, Copley threatened her. Verducci immediately reported the threat to Coventry Police, and Lima heard about it when police contacted her while she was traveling out of state.

“I just want to serve my community every two weeks and show up and do my job,” Lima said.

Calls, emails and messages to Vice President JP Verducci were not immediately returned. Warwick Post will update this story as more information becomes available.

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