By JON BAKER

CENTRAL FALLS — If anyone has wondered why Eunice DeLaHoz chose to run again for the Ward 1 City Council seat, one she's owned for the last “term and a half,” the 43-year-old native Colombian and mom of three explained she has much more to accomplish.

Naysayers may point to her late June arrest in Lincoln for driving under the influence, a case she states still hasn't ended, and claim she shouldn't.
DeLaHoz admitted last week that, immediately following the incident, she pondered not seeking re-election, though re-visited her life and chose not to take the easy way out.
“After that happened, I finally started to think one event in a person's life can't define who they are, or what they've accomplished,” she insisted. “When I went knocking on doors, I told the people of my ward that will not define who I am or what I believe in. I also said that it can't be the sole factor in what I'm going to undertake … in my personal and professional life.
“I couldn't allow it to keep me down,” she added. “It lasted a couple of weeks, where I was unsure what I should do, but my parents, brothers, close friends and people in my ward all told me, 'Forget it. You've done a good job as this ward's councilor. Good luck in your bid for re-election, and God bless. If there's anything you need, let me know.'
“I'm running again because I enjoy what I do (for the council). I love meeting people and helping them. You know what? I want to be a part of the decision-making process because I've lived here almost all my life, and I want 'CF' to be a better place for my children, myself and all the future generations who will reside here.”
DeLaHoz, who lives at 66 Pacific St. with her family, will battle Eugene Racquier, a 66-year-old retired  guard/corrections officer at the ACI, for the Ward 1 seat come November. And, honestly? She's not shy about reeling off her list of achievements.
First and foremost was working with the council and Mayor Charles D. Moreau's administration to reduce the budget by over $1 million.
“We faced a very difficult time when Gov. (Donald) Carcieri cut our budget back in June by approximately $1.7 million (along with the other 38 towns and cities statewide),” said DeLaHoz, who has worked in property management since 1993, and currently labors as property manager at Kent Farm Village in East Providence. “As the Finance Chair for Central Falls, I was directly involved.
“Of course, there were people we had to lay off in various departments and decrease salaries on the municipal side,” she continued. “The good news is, when we met with every department head and told them we had to cut this amount from it, the reaction was, 'We understand.' When they came back to us, on June 1-2, they had, and in very creative ways and in the spirit of cooperation.
“Our budget now stands at $17.7 million, and I think we can make that work.”
DeLaHoz stated being saddened by two layoffs which occurred at the Central Falls Library, but indicated she's working with the finance director to find funds to reinstate those positions.
“There are grants that the city is eligible for, and we're going after them,” she noted.
Second, she claimed she worked with the administration to modernize police and fire equipment – including the purchase of a new rescue unit – not to mention increasing the number of police and firefighters to ensure residents' safety.
“When I ran in 2007, I wanted to see more homeowners in the city,” she said. “I wanted to increase the amount of businesses here; lessen the tax burden on those who own businesses and (residential) properties; and better public safety. I'd also like to improve the relationship between police and all residents, especially teens.
“It's very easy for people to point out what's wrong … but to figure out what's wrong and find a solution, that isn't so simple,” she added. “It has to be done in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, where everyone understands other's positions. That's something I believe I've done in my ward, and so have my fellow councilors.
“When I see the fighting that occurs in other cities and towns – between the mayor and police, between the mayor and council – we've been able to do what we have without such bickering, and it's allowed us to accomplish so much more … in one of the most challenging economic situations in this century or last.”
Third, DeLaHoz introduced an increase in homestead exemption to hold the line on taxes for owner-occupied homes, adding there hasn't been a tax increase in two years. Residents have moaned about so many unsightly boarded-up houses, but she indicated – between January 2008 and this August – 200 of 243 such homes have been resold, and are back on tax rolls.
“It's been difficult in other cities for people to invest in foreclosed properties, the reason being when homeowners lose their properties, they're not boarded up,” she noted. “Those houses are stripped (looted), and that makes them more difficult to sell. People have criticized the boarding-up of houses in Central Falls, but it hasn't cost us a single penny. The cost of boarding up those houses all goes back to the banks, plus any back taxes due on those properties.
“We're actually helping ourselves when we board them up, because they won't be stripped. When you have a house that's been foreclosed upon, and you board it up, you preserve the integrity of the neighborhood. You don't have the looters, and police don't have to watch it every 10 minutes; you keep the criminals out. That also makes it more attractive to a buyer.”
She stated she introduced the “Tax Treaty” for the Roosevelt Avenue Development Project, with condominiums being built there.
“We had an abandoned mill sitting there, and it wasn't bringing in much,” she said. “Now a developer is investing $30 million in the city to develop those condos. I say we must be doing something right to be attracting these people during these tough times. I want to secure more funding through grants, and continue to bring more businesses here.
“With the development project, the first floor will be made up of shops – cafes, dry cleaners, bakeries, toy stores, etc. I'd love to see that come to fruition because it's my dream, and it's also in my ward.”
DeLaHoz pointed out some “incorrect” comments made by Racquier in The Times.
She explained that the new Ledge Avenue/Foundry Street parking lot in fact did go to bid twice – with a public hearing held on June 24, and DiGregorio Corp. won. Racquier claimed the mayor's administration and councilors hid the fiscal year 2009-10 budget, though DeLaHoz said a public hearing was held June 1, another on June 22 for first passage and the last for final passage on June 25.
“If he's so concerned about the budget, all he had to do is walk through the City Hall's doors and ask for one, exhibit his concerns,” she stated. “He didn't. I called (City Clerk) Marie Twohey and asked if Mr. Racquier even called, or showed up, and she said, 'No.'
“What I also found disturbing is he said the tax rate was through the roof,” she continued. “In reality, it's $10.78 per thousand. We have the 12th lowest residential tax rate in the state … due to the increase in Homestead Exemption; I mean, 26.4 percent of all property owners in the city paid less in real-estate taxes then the previous year, and 32.7 percent of all residential property owners paid less. The 'tax rate through the roof' comment? I don't think so.
“Another thing I find disturbing, Mr. Racquier claims he could do a better job than I, but he – who himself is eligible for Homestead Exemption – hasn't take the time to go to City Hall and apply for it. He's paying 18 percent more than he shouldn't because he hasn't taken advantage of the exemption.
“I do my homework, as any good councilor does. I'm more knowledgeable about the facts, and I also take my time before responding to a question … I always look ahead and try to be proactive.”