By AARON D. FRECHETTE

CENTRAL FALLS — The late June weather may be damp and cool, but an early start to election season is already heating things up in the Square Mile City.

Mayor Charles D. Moreau announced yesterday that he will seek for a fourth term as mayor. Moreau, a Democrat, was first elected in 2003, and easily won re-election in 2005 and 2007.
In a statement released Wednesday, Moreau said that his campaign slogan would be “Experienced Leadership for the Tough Times Ahead.” He kicked off his re-election campaign before a crowd of more than 500 supporters who gathered at the Madeira Club.
“I will continue to fight on behalf of the taxpayers and residents of the great city of Central Falls and I would truly appreciate the continued support of the fine residents of Central Falls,” Moreau said.
Both the mayor’s spot and five City Council seats will be on the ballot in the city’s “off-year” election cycle this fall.
According to City Board of Canvassers Registrar Gertrude Chartier, this will be the first time City Council and mayoral candidates are vying for four-year terms.
Under a City Charter revision approved by voters in 2006, the mayor’s term was extended to four years in the 2009 election cycle. City Council terms will also be extended to four years in this election cycle, under a home rule charter revision approved by voters in 2007.
Although no other candidates have officially announced their intentions to challenge Moreau, former Mayor Thomas Lazieh and former mayoral candidate Edna S. Poulin, both Democrats, told The Times Tuesday that they are considering throwing their hats in the ring.
Lazieh is a lifelong city resident who served as mayor from 1990-1996, previously serving as city clerk. After a career of public service in local and state posts, he retired last year from a job with the Department of Environmental Management.
He said that many local residents have asked him to consider running. Lazieh said that if he were to announce, it would probably be sometime in July. “For the past three to four months, I’ve been contacted by many, many residents and taxpayers and voters of our city … asking me if I was running and urging me to run,” Lazieh said. “I have not announced any plans to run. I am gratified by … the large number of people who are curious and interested in my running or my considering running and wanting to help.”
Poulin, who unsuccessfully challenged Moreau in the 2007 election, had previously served as Central Falls treasurer and finance director, head of the State Department of Labor from 1995 to 1997, and chief for the state Department of Health Worksite Wellness Program.
“I’m considering it,” said Poulin, who indicated that she would not make an announcement about a mayoral run until the middle of July.
In his campaign kick-off announcement, Moreau pointed to several accomplishments that his administration has overseen. “I am proud of the accomplishments of my administration,” the mayor said. “We have done so much, but there is a lot more to do. I am proud most of the Francis L. Corrigan Sports Complex on Higginson Avenue which will be completed this summer with the resurfacing of the existing basketball courts.”
The mayor also cited other projects that have improved the quality of life in the city. “Other projects that continue to be huge successes are the newly renovated Ralph J. Holden Community Center. When the city resumed control of the dilapidated building from the YMCA, we refurbished the entire building and now the center accommodates over 3,000 youth and seniors.”
Moreau also credited his administration with helping “the city’s water pipes now meeting 2010 water quality standards for all Central Falls residents, 30 newly paved streets, a state-of-the-art Public Works Complex, and an award-winning recycling program.”
Moreau touted his “continued commitment to public safety with the addition of a brand new rescue” and with the Fire Department in the process of obtaining grants for a new fire engine.
The mayor said that public safety issues have been a top priority of his administration. “Under my administration we have a police chief who lives in Central Falls and is committed to our city,” Moreau said. “We have more police officers on the streets to address quality of life issues. Public safety is paramount to my administration and I will continue to provide top quality public safety during the tough economic times we are facing.”
The troubled Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility would likely be another issue at the forefront should a 2009 mayoral contest transpire.
“I am concerned about what’s going on at the Wyatt Detention Facility,” Poulin said. “It’s supposed to be at an arm’s reach for the city. The mayor has really delved in and taken control. The police chief has a big enough job to do what he has to do for the city without the added burden of having to run the Central Falls Detention Facility.”
Lazieh, who brokered the agreement to site the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, said the he “was happy to bring that to the city of Central Falls. It was a great benefit to our community in jobs and services that came in.”
Today, Lazieh said, “I am concerned about the operation over there.”
But he stopped short of questioning the mayor’s decisions about Wyatt. “The mayor is the one who has the facts, the details. I don’t have those facts that he has first-hand to make those decisions.”
In his campaign announcement, Moreau noted that one of the unforeseen issues the city is facing is the housing and foreclosure crisis, “a crisis that is not only occurring here in Central Falls but across the nation.”
The mayor said that he “made a tough decision to board the abandoned and blighted properties and was criticized for doing so.” However, according to a campaign statement, “he believes the stance he has taken has provided the proverbial lemonade from the lemons left behind by greedy mortgage lenders.”
“As a result of the cleaning and protection that the board up provides,” Moreau said, “these properties have been preserved and home sales in the city of Central Falls have increased 428 percent in the past year.”
Poulin, however, questioned Moreau’s failure to follow purchasing procedures for the foreclosure boarding program. “The mayor went out and gave contracts to his friends to board up houses.” She believes that the program actually may be a deterrent to people purchasing homes in Central Falls. “It’s not just boarding-up the basement or the first floor.” To remove the boards, she said, could add $15,000 to $20,000 onto the cost of making the home habitable.
Moreau asserts that the program has worked. “Central Falls is the hottest real estate market in the country at this time due to the actions taken by my administration to protect the integrity of the problematic properties. The actions that have been taken and put into place are to protect our firefighters and police officers as well as to maintain the integrity of neighboring properties.”
Poulin and Lazieh, however, attributed the spike in home sales to the “buyers’ market” that has been brought about by the economic downturn.
“The number of sales of homes in Central Falls are at bargain prices,” Lazieh said, “and I am not surprised that many of these boarded up, abandoned houses are being sold” at that rate, “understanding that investors will financially make out in the long run.”
Poulin asserts that the lower cost of housing in Central Falls has created the inflated numbers. “It’s because of the prices,” she said.
Moreau said that his administration has a proven track record of improving services to city residents at a minimal cost. “I will continue to fight on behalf of the taxpayers and residents of the great city of Central Falls and I would truly appreciate the continued support of the fine residents of Central Falls,” Moreau said. “All of my accomplishments have been done with a very modest tax increase to taxpayers, which is mitigated to property owners living in Central Falls through the homestead exemption which has been increased to $60,000 this year.”
Both Lazieh and Poulin expressed concerns about the city’s fiscal picture.
“I think some of the problems are the finances,” Poulin said. “Not only the fact that the state has cut back, but the city has not addressed the concerns.” She is predicting a $2-$2.5 million deficit would result from the 2009-10 budget that received first passage from the City Council on Monday night. “In my estimation it’s not a balanced budget,” she said.
Poulin also echoed her concerns from the previous campaign about police and fire pension funds.
According to Lazieh, “People are concerned about the city. We are in very difficult times. Economically, we are going through severe economic problems,” he said. “Many people are concerned that maybe the city could be handling things in a different way. That is something I’m sure that will be discussing in the months to come.”
Poulin said that while she is not sure whether she will run, “I don’t believe anyone should have no opposition. If I’m going to complain, I’ll do something about it.”
No matter what decision he or any other candidates make about a run, Lazieh said it is clear that any opponent of Moreau’s would face a steep, uphill battle. “He is the foremost, number one candidate in this race,” Lazieh said of the incumbent mayor. “He has the most money; the biggest, most active political machine and, politically, he is the most well organized. Anyone who considers running against him has to consider that they are an extreme underdog.”
Chartier said that no one has inquired about taking out declaration papers for either the mayor’s race or any of the City Council seats at this point.
Declarations of candidacy papers may be taken out at City Hall starting on Aug. 5. Declarations of candidacy will be accepted at the Board of Registrar’s office at City Hall through Sept. 4. The primary election is scheduled for Oct. 6 and the general election is slated for Nov. 3.