The two contenders for mayor met for a public forum last week, trading political punches and making their respective cases to voters ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
“Our city cannot go back to the days of fiscal mismanagement, political cronyism, and outright old-style politics,” Fung said, touting his “commitment to hold the line on taxes” while preserving services and fostering economic growth. “I want the opportunity to finish the job.”
“Cranston needs real change right now,” Sepe said, accusing the mayor of “cover-ups, deception, and political interference” and the squandering of “millions of dollars that should have gone to our schools, our seniors, our roads, and property tax relief.”
The forum, sponsored by the Cranston Herald and the Cranston Public Library, was held at the Central Library on Sockanosset Cross Road. It was the third gathering of candidates for local office, following forums for ward and citywide candidates for City Council and School Committee.
Political fireworks came early in the proceedings, as Sepe – saying he would do the same – asked Fung to sign a pledge that he would serve all four years of his term if elected. Sepe has made Fung’s 2014 bid for governor, and the possibility the mayor will again seek that office in 2018, a central line of criticism in his campaign, characterizing Fung as an “absentee mayor” during the 2014 bid.
“Enough with the political games,” Fung responded. He later dismissed the pledge as a “gimmick,” and said: “I’m looking forward to serving as mayor for the next four years. I don’t know how much clearer I can be … What more could Mr. Sepe want?”
Sepe also challenged Fung regarding the “Ticketgate” episode of late 2013, and the controversies that surrounded the Cranston Police Department in the months that followed. While saying the department is now “on the right track” – and praising Chief of Police Col. Michael Winquist as “probably one of the best colonels we’ve had in a long time – he asserted that Fung’s mismanagement of the department has led to enormous legal costs.
“Mayor, if we didn’t have ‘Ticketgate,’ we wouldn’t have these problems, we wouldn’t have these expenses … You were on guard at that time, and you didn’t watch the ship. You let the ship sink,” he said.
“I’ve never ducked this question, and I’ve also accepted full responsibility for everything that’s within that state police report,” Fung responded, referencing the 182-page assessment completed by state police.
The mayor said he made the decision to call in state police for a “top-to-bottom” review in the wake of “Ticketgate,” and also to appoint Winquist – who previously served as second-in-command of the state police – as Cranston’s new chief.
“That department is moving forward, and I’m glad we fixed many of the issues that have been percolating for many years,” he said.
Fung also rejected what he said are “exaggerated” cost figures that Sepe and others have sought to link to police matters.
“Let’s not exploit these numbers for political purposes,” he said, defending his administration’s approach and record regarding litigation and legal expenses.
A colorful moment came following a question on economic development, as Fung and Sepe left their podiums and stood aside one another before the crowd.
“Let’s get in the car together, Mr. Sepe, and take a drive,” Fung said, gesturing to his opponent.
“We are transforming this city in so many ways,” the mayor said, naming a number of new businesses – particularly along the Route 2 corridor – and touting his administration’s approach to economic development.
“Don’t be lulled into a false sense of political rhetoric,” he said. “Economic development is happening.”
Sepe pointed to Citizens Bank’s decision to depart its current offices on Sockanosset Cross Road in favor of a new corporate campus in Johnston, suggesting more could have been done to keep the company in Cranston. He also spoke of doing more to build connections with, and provide support for, the city’s small business community.
The candidates also outlined their differing approaches to the issue of panhandling. Sepe has criticized an ordinance – sponsored by Fung and almost the entire City Council – that seeks to address the issue within constitutional bounds by making a distinction between roadways and sidewalks.
“You have to have compassion for these people … A lot of these people have hit it really tough,” Sepe said of those soliciting money on the side of roads. He reiterated support for establishing a work program for those engaged in the activity, citing a similar program in Albuquerque, N.M., as a model. To fund the program, he said he would lobby state and federal leaders for support.
Fung said officials have been working to “find the appropriate mechanism that will pass constitutional muster” with regarding to panhandling in the wake of an American Civil Liberties Union legal challenge.
He said the proposed ordinance “provides reasonable limits,” and is about more than panhandling. He said it is aimed at keeping others – such as community groups collecting donations – safe while providing “another tool for public safety” to combat activity such as prostitution and drug sales.
In terms of addressing the city’s roads, Sepe said if elected he would develop a priority list based on requests from council members and a review by members of his administration.
“What’s happening now, roads are being repaired only if you’re a favorite of the mayor,” he said.
Fung pushed back on that criticism, and said the city uses an independent engineering firm to compile its road priority list. He also said while his administration has invested millions in roadwork over his tenure, challenging fiscal conditions have required infrastructure needs to be balanced with other priorities.
“We’re not going to spend what we don’t have,” he said.
Fung and Sepe both spoke in support of a $20 million bond question for road repairs that will go before city voters in November.

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