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Cranston finance committee presses city solicitor, finance director for full list of pending lawsuits and audit explanation
Summary
At a March 3 Finance Committee meeting, council members pushed the solicitor and finance director for a complete, public list of pending lawsuits and an explanation of a roughly $40 million change in program revenues shown in the city audit; the committee asked for written follow‑up and documentation at next month's meeting.
Council President Marino and members of the Cranston Finance Committee pressed city legal and finance officials March 3 for a complete list of pending lawsuits, clearer monthly reporting of outside legal expenses and a staff explanation of a large change in audited program revenues.
The committee asked Solicitor Christopher Malay and Finance Director (Director) Zadelis to provide documented answers at the next committee meeting. Council members said they had repeatedly asked for a consolidated, public inventory of litigation and the expenses associated with outside counsel and want the information before budget deliberations.
Why it matters: Pending lawsuits and outside legal spending can affect the city's budget planning and bond disclosures. Committee members said they need a single, consistently updated list to see settlement exposure and legal‑expense trends before finalizing fiscal year budgets.
Solicitor's account and council follow‑up Solicitor Christopher Malay told the committee he had a list of matters by firm and that many cases already appear in the law department's monthly legal expense…
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