Letter: ‘Voter beware’ of candidate for the North Smithfield Town Council

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The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, an often heard saying that speaks volumes especially in the arena of local politics. Citizen voters should put careful thought and vetting into the process in 2022 for members of the North Smithfield Town Council, as the results will affect the policies and quality of life of residents for quite some time.  Objectivity, facts, and logic should play a prominent role and emotion should take a backseat to avoid the dreaded out of the frying pan into the fire scenario. 

An ancient phrase of “Cavete Suffragator” or “voter beware,” comes to mind.

In the case of Paulette Hamiliton there are many red flags from her past practices when given the trust, responsibility and authority of a town of North Smithfield office holder. Some of the archived information is available for consumption is clearly troubling. 

Outlined for vetting:

– July 29th 2010 National Wind Watch Brenna McCabe, Valley Breeze Staff Writer. Did you know you were chatting with Paulette? “Town Administrator Paulette Hamilton is admitting this week that she pretended to be 15 different people commenting on an online Valley Breeze story last week about a proposed wind turbine in effort to advance a positive conversation about the idea.”   Did you know you were chatting with Paulette? | Wind Energy News (wind-watch.org)

– June 9th 2015- Recall petitioners outline complaints about North Smithfield Town Administrator Donita Naylor 
Journal Staff.

Paulette Hamilton urges voters not to sign a petition seeking a recall election to replace her. She said her political opponents disagree with her taking the position of chairwoman of a proposed regional mayoral academy, RISE Prep, that would serve Woonsocket, Burrillville and North Smithfield.

The organizers of a recall petition aimed at ousting Paulette Hamilton have agreed on the reasons they will list at the top of each petition.

As reasons for the recall, Lowe and Vowels list:

>Hamilton’s support of the regional RISE Mayoral Academy charter school. The petition says this will incur “much higher out-of-district educational costs to bear, and subsequently diminishing the overall school curriculum” in North Smithfield.

She works on RISE during taxpayer-funded town time, “a practice that is equivalent to the stealing of taxpayer dollars.”

>”The unbridled chaos in the NS Tax Assessor’s office is now ONE YEAR OLD,” and taxpayers “are still in the dark regarding cause, effect, and the ultimate financial burden we face” as a result of Hamilton’s “incompetence and failure to oversee an office she has been sworn to administer.” Tax abatement issues continue, and accountability has been abandoned, the petition says, citing an estimated financial impact of about $750,000.

>Lack of leadership in moving ahead with three bond issues approved by voters in November.

>Bullying tactics, specifically asking a volunteer to step down from an appointed committee because, in an online forum, he questioned the tax basis for automobiles.

>Hiring a building and zoning official who lacked certification required by the state, then rehiring the former official to sign documents.

>Terminating the town finance director by a text to her cellphone.

https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/2015/06/10/recall-petitioners-outline-complaints-about/34310611007/

– June 17th 2015  Abatement report should lead to recall of Hamilton | Letters to the Editor | valleybreeze.com

Administrator Hamilton, lost track of  the Tax Assessor’s office, that cost the town hundreds of thousands of dollars when it came to the 2013 tax levy, and North Smithfield paid dearly for  Hamilton’s incompetence.  The particulars of her “minimal oversight and leadership” can be found in this letter to the Valley Breeze:   

-August 9th 2015 Sandy Seoane Council ‘directs’ Hamilton to remove name from RISE | News | valleybreeze.com

North Smithfield Administrator Hamilton was one of the driving forces behind the RISE Prep Mayoral Academy in Woonsocket. North Smithfield now has 39 students attending RISE Prep at a cost to taxpayers of approximately $475,000 annually.  Adding two teachers wouldn’t cost anywhere near that total, efforts to appease now-Governor McKee continue to cost the town dearly. 

-February 16th 2016 Bill Rappleye Town administrator says car dispute driving her out of politics | WJAR (turnto10.com)

Paulette Hamilton “…took the town-owned 2014 Ford Focus to visit family in Maryland. She said that was not an abuse because it has long been common practice of the administrator to use the car for personal reasons on weekends, and she paid for the gas.”  In reality, she filled the town-owned car at the taxpayer-funded fuel pump before her trip to Maryland, and validated it by claiming “she needed to get back in a hurry if needed.” 

-March 9th 2016 Sandy Seoane  https://www.valleybreeze.com/news/hamilton-fights-back/article_8de875ce-2b18-50d0-9eaa-036ee1514e43.html 

August 24th 2016 Sandy Seoane Hamilton is MIA at council meetings | News | valleybreeze.com

Administrator Hamilton, when employed by the town, simply stopped going to Town Council meetings. Her absences (per then Town Council President Robert Boucher) were exasperating. “She’s not fulfilling her obligation to the taxpayers of North Smithfield. She’s already checked out. She was elected to do a job for the community. We can’t get answers on things,” said Boucher. “We can’t keep postponing things. The council is very saddened by this.”  

North Smithfield voters deserve better from its elected leaders.

Integrity coined by Charles Marshall:  “ Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. ”

John Cardone

North Smithfield

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10 COMMENTS

  1. Hamilton and Beauregard are two wasted votes, as far as O’Hara goes, she is long past retirement age and needs to shift her attention to the pasture. Doesn’t leave much if you want a fiscally responsible council. Maybe Alves, Corriveau, Ozier, and Marandola. As far as the fifth, an empty chair might be better than Hamilton or Beauregard.

    • Wow! Nice way to denigrate a senior citizen like Mrs. O’Hara. Usually retirees choose to relax, but she has energy and willpower to keep going. Your hate is deep. Seek help.

      • JG, I stand by my statement that she should retire, too old and set in her ways to bring anything new to the table. And reading the latest town issue, “FORMER ASSISTANT FILES DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AGAINST N.S. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR”, there are a few more from city hall that could join her in the pasture. It’s time for a change!

  2. How many current volunteer seats are open because the people do not support the current dictators opinion. I feel bad for current volunteers who spend quality time coming up with facts based quality recommendations only to be ignored by the current director when the recommendation does not support the zero based analysis opinion. This sounds like Nazi Germany. Maybe this is why we need some many jail cells in the police station proposal.

  3. Questioning their motives? That is a real loaded comment to make. We don’t need mud slinging. We need facts. Mr. Cardone’s letter is filled with facts. Can you rebut them?

  4. John, I disagree with your editorial about Paulette Hamilton. But I do see you support Lowe and Vowels who have there own personal interest and agenda. As far as supporting a choice on schooling, the schooling issue is a direct correlation to the lack of educational quality in the public schools and less about funding. We have continually adding funding to the school budget with zero results. Just look at the test scores. You should be questioning John Beauregard and Claire O’Hara motives.

    • Another school hater. The ENTIRE country’s test scores are down. Did you already forget about the covid pandemic and the massive damage it’s done to an entire generation of kids? The “cure” was worse than the problem. Now you pile on more and put the kids down even further. Nice job! Let’s blame everyone but the ones who closed our schools!

      • Please look at test scores before the pandemic. Still awful but how are we fighting learning after COVID. Let’s see we spent $1 million on a football field, built bathrooms and a concession stand and now we want to spend more on a parking lot. Why don’t we focus on actual learning. Also what is wrong with choice in education? Must be more about the security of jobs instead of education.

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