I heard some great news today.  Despite North Providence's financial problems, city employees will be getting paid this Friday.  A few weeks ago, Mayor Charles Lombardi mentioned there was a chance that employees would not get paid, due to the town's precarious financial situation.  So, how did the town come up with the $2.5 million needed to meet payroll?  We don't know.

     In a troubling turn of events, Charles Lombardi has refused to disclose how the $2.5 million for payroll was secured.  To make matters worse, he made several questionable statements.  Here are a few:

“Barring some unforeseen problem, we’re expecting all the employees to have checks on Friday afternoon.”

He declined to say exactly how the town will pay employees with its cash supplies running dry at the tail end of a budget year that ends June 30.

“We’re printing the checks,” Lombardi said. “We’re continuing to move some money around, which could be questionable.”

Lombardi added that he was “not at liberty to get into the specifics at this time.”

When asked why he couldn’t provide details, Lombardi said: “Because I’m not going to…”

Asked if his methods might be illegal or considered less than the best financial practice, Lombardi replied: “You could read between the lines.”

“I’ve had some obstacles to overcome in my life and this has been a real challenge,” he added.

He said he doesn’t plan to explain in the future how he made the payroll.

“As long as I’m not breaking the law, my job is to make our employees whole,” Lombardi said, “that’s what I’m trying to do.”


     We have a mayor who steered his town into fiscal calamity, seemingly pulls $2.5 million out of the air, then refuses to tell the public where the funds came from.  I don't know about you, but statements like, “We’re continuing to move some money around, which could be questionable,”  probably won't instill confidence in the electorate.  Although, it will rightfully result in skepticism.  To North Providence voters: What were you thinking?