Does the Mayor of Central Falls Live in Lincoln?

I guess he's just following the leader. Remember before the election two years ago, GoLocalProv.com broke the story about then-candidate Lincoln Chafee being accused of having car registrations in East Greenwich, taking a homestead exemption in Providence and being a registered voter in Warwick? For those unaware, property owners can only get a homestead exemption for their primary residence. But I guess we should just "Trust Chafee."

Based on that precedent, I guess it would only stand to reason that the mayor of Central Falls would register a vehicle in Lincoln, where the taxes on that vehicle are cheaper.

The next year, 2010, when Mayor Moreau declared the city insolvent and petitioned Central Falls into state receivership, the couple found a better car tax deal. He transferred the registration to Lincoln where he and his wife own a home in Serenity Acres, a woodsy development at 1906 Old Louisquisset Pike. There, the Moreaus took advantage of a lower car tax rate and a $3,000 exemption the town provides on vehicle assessments, which allowed them to save about $450. They paid Lincoln $528.89 in vehicle taxes.

Some might be led to question whether he is still the mayor as Robert Flanders is the current state appointed receiver for the city, but as Flanders said:

“It bothers me that we are giving him a salary of $26,000 when he’s doing little or nothing as mayor,” he said. “It’s discouraging to see the mayor depriving the city of revenue when it’s in a time of need."

Moreau is receiving a salary to be Central Fall's mayor in name only, yet he owns a property in Lincoln where he has registered a vehicle.

Additionally, according to the ProJo

The City Charter requires the mayor to live in Central Falls.

To be completely fair here though, the ProJo article might have inadvertently explained this.

A review of tax records from each community shows that in 2009 the sport utility vehicle was registered to Moreau’s wife, Kristen

If the vehicle is the mayor's wife's, there's no law that says she can't live in Lincoln and register a vehicle there. She's not the mayor and doesn't have any residency requirement. As for further figuring out exactly where they live, there's this:

The Moreaus in October sold their house at 141 Jenks Ave., where they had been registered to vote, and are now registered to vote at 150 Jenks Ave., the home of Jonathan and Sharon Kelly, according to the Board of Canvassers.

But unless Mrs. Moreau has voted in Central Falls since registering the car in Lincoln, I don't know that we have a problem here. Maybe it is her car, maybe she lives in Lincoln and just hasn't gotten around to registering to vote in Lincoln yet. I guess it is possible. Right?

As for Chafee, the explanation once again seems to be that the cars and home in question aren't in his name, but instead are his wife's or belong to a trust. To quote Dana Carvey as the Church Lady, "Well, isn't that conveeeenient?"

Gotta love Rhode Island politicians.