By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — In the wake of their first mayoral debate, incumbent Mayor James E. Doyle told The Times that he disputes many of opponent Donald R. Grebien’s attacks on his administrative practices. In a separate interview, Grebien defended his remarks and clarified his budget-slashing plan.

The two candidates engaged in lively verbal sparring during last Tuesday’s taping of the Glen Medeiros Show, an hour-long cable TV talk show that was broadcast several times on Cox Cable’s Channel 13.
Doyle said that one of his main points of contention with Grebien during the Glen Medeiros broadcast was his accusation that he has created 71 positions within his administration during his 11 years as mayor. Grebien also criticized the mayor for not cutting back on the use of temporary employees, accusing him also of filling many of these positions with friends.
Doyle and his director of personnel, Angel S. Garcia, maintain that since Doyle took office in 1998, 44 positions, both full-time, part-time and temporary, have been eliminated. Referring to Grebien’s numbers, Garcia said, “Maybe 71 positions were created, but we’ve eliminated a ton of them through restructuring.”
Garcia and Doyle also defended the use of temporary employees, saying that many of these were needed for seasonal work, or to fill vacancies because of sickness or other absences in the city’s trash program. However, since the last round of lay-offs during the current year’s budget cycle, Garcia said there are currently no temporary employees working for the city
Doyle also strongly disputed Grebien’s assertion (illustrated with an upward spiraling graph in Grebien’s campaign flier) that the mayor has simply raised taxes in each of the budget years that he has been in office.
Doyle said Grebien used budget figures that carry over the prior year’s tax increases, which, he said, is misleading.
Doyle said he is aware of the financial struggles facing the city’s residents, many of them senior citizens, in the current economy, and has tried to come up with a spending plan that provides essentially the same services at what he considers a modest tax increase.
The mayor noted that seven employees were laid off earlier this year due to budget cuts, and said more lay-offs might be necessary if the various unions don’t agree to certain concessions. “We’re still in negotiations with the unions, but I’m not very optimistic this is going to happen, said Doyle, of the concessions.
Garcia also noted that, on the city side, department heads and directors have not had a pay increase in the last five years. Therefore, he said that Grebien’s claim that these individuals, not covered by union contracts, should agree to assume a 25 percent co-pay on the health insurance is unrealistic.
See DEBATE, Page A-2

It is Grebien’s boldest statement made during the debate – that the city budget could be slashed by 10 percent – that Doyle is most critical of. He said that any cutback of this magnitude would result in the elimination of many programs and services that taxpayers, particularly the elderly, have come to rely on.
In a follow-up interview with Grebien, he stuck with his original statement on the number of positions that mayor has filled. He maintained the many of the positions that the Doyle administration is showing as reductions were, in fact, vacancies that have not been filled but are still budgeted for.
Grebien defended his graph showing tax increases, saying he used the tax levy amount from year to year, and not the actual budget, to illustrate his point.
As to his much-talked-about 10 percent cut on the $7.9 million tax levy amount, Grebien said he first put forth the idea as a vision for city leaders to work towards. However, he also said he considers it to be a realistic goal that could be achieved through the institution of a hiring freeze, cutting back on the use of city-owned cars and new vehicle purchases, and insisting on the 25 percent co-pay from department heads, with union employees to eventually follow suit. 
Grebien said that he and his campaign staff have been seeking financial information from the Doyle administration, but with limited success. He alleges that at least $1 million to possibly $2 million has been spent on outside legal services, which could be trimmed, and a potential $1 million in savings could likely be realized by the city making joint purchases with the School Department on paper, office supplies and other non-educational items.
Grebien maintains that if all of the non-union department heads and other employees would agree to assume 25 percent of their health insurance costs, there would be a potential savings of about $4.9 million.
On the issue of cars, Grebien said that none but the most essential employees should be allowed to take vehicles home. He said there would be considerable savings on gas, insurance, and maintenance and repairs, possible totaling $200,000. He also argued that since some of the employee vehicles are equipped as “police packages,” the city could defer some purchases of replacement police vehicles.
Grebien went on to say that he is still working on getting firm budget figures that he has requested, and can define his cost-cutting plan even further. He said, however, that he is confident in his assertion that $7.9 million – and maybe even $8 million – can be trimmed, which will help offset the pending school department deficit of $3 million.
Doyle, the endorsed Democrat seeking his sixth term, and Grebien, an 11-year City Council veteran who is running as an independent, will meet again for “A Conversation with the Mayoral Candidates” on Oct. 7 at from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Gamm Theater, 172 Exchange St.
Noted antiques dealer and historian Richard Kazarian will serve as moderator for an open conversation with the two candidates on a variety of issues. The event, free and open to the public, is being hosted by the Pawtucket Alliance for Downtown Success, in cooperation with Rhode Island Citizens for the Arts. It is being sponsored The Times.
The two candidates will face off in a second debate, co-sponsored by the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce and the Pawtucket Rotary Club, on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, City Hall. That debate will be moderated by Chamber President John Gregory with questions from local media representatives. The debate is free and open to the public. There is a seating capacity of 180 people (first come, first served).

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