Cunha Says he Lost Faith in City Manager's Leadership

City Councilman Helder Cunha said his decision to add a motion to fire City Manager Peter Graczykowski to Tuesday night's agenda stemmed from a lack of faith in his leadership dating at least to this year's budget process.

The Council voted to approve the motion 4-1, with only Councilor Chrissy Rossi voting to keep him in the position. 

Thursday afternoon, Cunha released a statement on the move: "I made the motion to remove the City Manager because I had lost faith that he was the right person to lead the city through what is still one of the most difficult times in its history. My overriding goal is to continue the process of stabilizing city finances and to explore every possible alternative to deliver city services to our citizens at reasonable costs. I believe that the other members of the city council share those goals and we will be working together to find a manager to further those aims," Cunha wrote.

During this year's budgeting process, Cunha said, cuts made to the budget fell largely to the City Council's initiative. "We were doing some of the things that he should be doing as a manger," the Councilor said. 

Cunha said he made the decision to place the motion on the City Council's agenda, intending to see how the other Councilors would react. 

Details of Graczykowski's testy working relationship with Rhode Island State Police officials were aired publicly last week when East Providence Patch reported on the contents of East Providence Police Chief Joseph Tavares's human rights complaint against the City.  

An affidavit in that complaint includes a letter to Council President James Briden from Rhode Island State Police Col. Steven O'Donnell advising him of Graczykowski's "unprofessional behavior" in demanding to be notified of State Police activity in East Providence.

Cunha would not comment on whether Graczykowski's  exchanges with State Police officials were weighed in his lack of faith in the City Manager. 

The complaint also details elements of a State Police investigation into Graczykowski’s decision to put Tavares on leave, raising the issue that he did so because of coercion from two members of the City Council: Rossi and Thomas Rose Jr., neither of whom cooperated fully with the State Police, according to reports.

The City Council will meet at 5 p.m. Friday in Council Chambers during open session to determine candidates for a new City Manager, Cunha said. In the meantime, City Solicitor Tim Chapman is serving as a "point of contact" as needed to manage the city.