The Cranston City Council voted “No Confidence” in Mayor Allan Fung during a meeting Monday night. The largely symbolic vote was a narrow one, five to four, and comes following a scathing police report investigating the Cranston Police department.
Rhode Island Public Radio’s political analyst Scott MacKay says it’s rare that such action is taken by a city government.
“Usually when there’s a vote of no confidence, it’s from a public safety aspect,” said MacKay. “What makes this very unusual is that in Cranston, what you have here is a popularly elected mayor. Now, if people are upset with a mayor we have a remedy. The remedy is elections.”
MacKay adds that the vote could likely have political repercussions if Fung pursues a mayoral reelection, or the governor’s office.
“He realizes that he has to go out and regain the confidence of the voters of Cranston, and you’re going to see that in the next 18 months,” said MacKay. “He pretty much says he intends to run again for reelection, so Allan Fung is not going softly into that good political night.”
Fung is one of the state’s most prominent republicans. He said some of the votes may be political gamesmanship by the Democratic majority on the council. Fung said he hopes the vote doesn’t overshadow the work he’s done as Cranston mayor.
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