Press Release: BLM RI PAC Calls Out Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency for Lack of Transparency & Financial Mismanagement
Statement: Harrison Tuttle-BLM RI PAC
Black Lives Matter Rhode Island PAC (BLM RI PAC) is calling attention to the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency’s (PRA) failure to comply with public records laws after withholding financial documents requested over two weeks ago. The requested documents, including but not limited to “PRA 2024-25 CDGB” and the PRA Budget for 2026, were referenced during the PRA’s public meeting under the “PRA Financial Information” segment. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), documents shared during public meetings must be made publicly available within ten business days upon request.
“This marks the failure of the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency to address our public records request,” said Harrison Tuttle, President of BLM RI PAC. “This refusal to release financial documents is yet another indicator of mismanagement of city and state funds. During the January 21, 2025, public meeting, the PRA was unable to explain why unknown entities had been withdrawing funds from their accounts. The public has a right to know how taxpayer money is being managed.”
Additionally, BLM RI PAC believes the PRA’s reluctance to release financial records is linked to unallocated excess funds. At the same meeting, it was revealed that the PRA has over $1 million in brownfield funding but lacks a plan to use it. Meanwhile, critical community projects, such as the remediation and reopening of Morley Field, remain neglected. The people of Pawtucket have repeatedly voiced their demand for these funds to be directed toward restoring Morley Field and removing the restrictive fences placed around it. The field, initially funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), was intended for public use, yet it remains inaccessible.
A fundamental pillar of the LWCF program is to ensure public access to recreational spaces, a right that has been denied to the Woodlawn community for far too long. It is now imperative for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) to fulfill its role as the state’s fund manager and take decisive action. BLM RI PAC calls upon RIDEM Director Terry Gray to either compel the City of Pawtucket to begin the remediation of Morley Field or for RIDEM to take over the process itself. The initial closure of the field stemmed from an illegal sales agreement executed by the City of Pawtucket with a private entity. It is time to reverse this illegal action and restore the field to the people of the Woodlawn neighborhood.
“This situation reflects the ongoing failures of local governments to prioritize their citizens over financial mismanagement and secret backroom deals,” said Tuttle. “We will continue to pursue the requested documents from the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency to audit their financial statements and expose any misuse of public funds. Furthermore, we are urging Missy Morrison and the team at the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund to enforce accountability at the state and city levels, ensuring that Morley Field is remediated and reopened for public use.” The people of Pawtucket deserve to know how their money is being used, and they deserve access to the public spaces that were promised to them.
