City Council President John Ward Declares Candidacy for Mayor of the City of Woonsocket
City Council President John Ward has declared his candidacy for Mayor of the City of Woonsocket. Ward, a life-long resident, has served the city in elected and appointed positions since 1995. He served 10 years on the school committee, with 4 years as chairman, and 13 years on the city council, with 4 years as president. He also served on the Board of Canvassers and the 2011 charter review commission. Ward offers his experience in municipal government after retiring after a total of 29 years as finance director in the Town of Lincoln, school business manager for the Johnston School Department and finance director for the Woonsocket Housing Authority.
“My experience in municipal management included developing budgets, monitoring spending, project planning, staff supervision, policy development, personnel administration and so many other areas important to quality governance. These career achievements combined with my legislative work protecting taxpayers from excessive spending, drafting and passing ordinances to provide the citizens of Woonsocket with timely information and demand accountability too often lacking in local politically managed administrations. This is the time for experience to right our municipal ship through development of sound policies and procedures to protect our citizens and taxpayers from self-serving leaders using imagery to mask their true intentions.”
“As mayor of the City of Woonsocket, I will work aggressively from day one to complete the important projects currently under way. Working with the city council, I will strive to align our city staffing and work practices in a way to best serve our residents, assure that our tax assessments and tax burdens are objectively and fairly measured, provide prudent budget proposals that protect our city’s future and assure quality services.”
"It is time for our City of Woonsocket to move past the last decade of secretive one-way politics and those officials who brought embarrassment to our residents,” said Ward. “I have always been a fiscal watchdog and have spent my career in municipal and school finances. I will ensure that every penny we spend in Woonsocket will be spent with care, wisdom, and transparency. There are many important city projects in the near future, and I commit to making taxpayers fully aware of how their money is being spent.”
"As for city politics, there is no place in our future for those who betrayed our past,” said Ward. “I have been the force since 2020 behind the effort to make sure that our city charter issues are addressed. In 2021 I had to remind the former mayor of her obligation to convene a charter review commission. Now, three years later, the process has begun with the appointment of good citizens to consider ways to improve the charter and offer changes to the voters. To that end, I have over the last several months offered proposals for them to assess and it is my hope that there will be a lively discussion of ideas from all corners of the City of Woonsocket.”
“When so often asked throughout my life when I would run for the mayor’s office, I would say that when I retired that I would run for mayor. Well, I recently retired and feel refreshed and prepared to offer all my experience and desire to continue my service to the residents of the City of Woonsocket as your next mayor. There is much work to be done and I am well prepared to step into this new challenge with all my heart.”
The House will vote on a measure that forces the Justice Department to release all of its Jeffrey Epstein case files. House Speaker Mike Johnson is required to put the bill on the floor after a discharge petition related to the matter reached the 218 signatures needed. This follows the release of emails from Epstein to his associate Ghislaine Maxwell as well as a journalist that referenced Trump, claiming in one that President Trump "knew about the girls." 
