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WwkVoter, I understand your perspective, and generally agree that the 2016 photo op is something that Stenhouse will have to address in her campaign.

Where I disagree is in the idea that Avedisian is to blame [at least solely] for the current condition of the city's finances. As I've mentioned, he warned the council against passing their FY18 budget and decided against a veto because he knew they would override it. We now know that the FY18 budget left a $4.2 million hole.

As you recall, that budget also anticipated a 99-percent tax collection rate, which the council passed over Avedisian's objections. How much was that increase in the collection rate worth? $3.6 million.

So, obviously, the increase in the collection rate didn't do anything to address the deficit in that budget.

[See page 11 of this PDF to see those numbers: https://www.warwickri.gov/sites/warwickri/files/pages/adopted_fy18_general_fund_budget.pdf ]

Avedisian's proposed FY18 budget included a 46-cent tax rate increase and a 98.5% collection rate, which would have generated $7.1 million in property tax revenue.

This article includes a PDF showing this: https://warwickpost.com/avedisian-proposes-1-76-percent-tax-rate-increase-310-million-budget/

Solomon and the council had their chance in FY18 to avoid a deficit that year, but didn't take it.

So, if we're looking at it from a strictly campaign message standpoint, all Avedisian has to say is, basically, "I gave them a budget that would have avoided this mess, but Joe Solomon didn't listen."