Politics & Government
Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt Resigns, Citing Health Issues
The mayor's resignation also came amid growing criticism for accusations she used city money to purchase land for more than it was worth.
WOONSOCKET, RI — Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt resigned, citing health issues.
Baldelli-Hunt, 61, a Democrat who was first elected in 2013, sent her resignation letter to the city clerk's office on Wednesday. The resignation is effective immediately, and she attributed the abrupt decision to health issues, including when she collapsed during a news conference last April.
"Unfortunately, my health issues have not resolved as I had hoped and the effects on me, as well as my family, have impacted my ability to continue to move the city forward," Baldelli-Hunt said in her resignation letter. "The time has come for me to address my health and the well-being of my family. As much as I love the City of Woonsocket and all of you, I must reorder my priorities to suit the current circumstances."
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Though health concerns were cited as the reason for the resignation, it also comes amid increased criticism over a controversial land deal, WPRI 12 reported. According to a Target 12 investigation, Baldelli-Hunt used $1.1 million in city-controlled federal funds to purchase five acres of land off Mendon Road. But the land was most recently assessed as worth less than $200,000. It was sold to the city by a company owned by Raymond Bourque, a real estate developer who Baldelli once borrowed money from and listed as her employer in 2011, WPRI 12 reported.
Baldelli-Hunt has been a politician in Woonsocket for well over a decade. From 2007 to 2013, she represented the city in the Rhode Island House of Representatives and was then elected mayor. But her time in office was not without controversy.
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In October 2022, the Woonsocket City Council voted 3-2 to remove Baldelli-Hunt from office. The proceedings to remove her as mayor started from a complaint filed by City Councilor Denise Sierra. Sierra accused Baldelli-Hunt of repeatedly overstepping her authority as mayor.
But the removal did not last long. In November 2022, Baldelli-Hunt won back her seat, running unopposed in her re-election bid.
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