August 13, 2026 After speaking with both candidates in great detail, asking questions, listening carefully to their ideas, and considering their respective visions and direction for the future of Pawtucket, Entering Pawtucket has decided to endorse Adam Greenman for Mayor of Pawtucket.

This decision was notmade lightly.

I want to start by saying that I have respect for both Adam Greenman and Mayor Donald Grebien. I believe they are both good people who care about Pawtucket. I appreciate that both candidates were willing to sit down with me, answer my questions, discuss the issues facing our city, and make their case directly to the people of Pawtucket.

But an endorsement cannot simply be about whether someone is a good person. It must also be about leadership, results, accountability, and where we believe the city needs to go next.

For me, the decision ultimately came down to the mayor's record. Particularly over the last several years, and two issues in particular ultimately tipped the scale.

First, there have been several situations where I believe residents deserved stronger leadership from City Hall.

One of the biggest examples was the proposed transfer station on Concord Street. Pawtucket residents organized, spoke up, attended meetings, and made it abundantly clear that they did not believe this proposal was in the best interest of their community. Throughout much of that fight, I waited to hear strong and unequivocal opposition from the mayor.

That opposition never came.

Then there was the Allied Recycling controversy and the attempt to establish what residents believed would essentially amount to a junkyard in the heart of Fairlawn. Once again, residents had to organize and fight to protect their neighborhood. And once again, the mayor's silence when it came to publicly opposing the proposal was, in my opinion, as loud as a locomotive's horn.

Leadership isn't only about what you say. Sometimes it's also about what you don't say, and when you choose not to say it.

But there were two issues that became the deciding factors for me.

THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE

The first was the effort to overhaul the Pawtucket School Committee and move away from a committee directly elected by the citizens toward a structure that would include appointments by the mayor and City Council.

That did not sit well with me at all.

The speed with which this major change was pursued, and the idea of taking seats that Pawtucket voters currently have the power to fill and placing that power into the hands of elected officials, felt sneaky and underhanded to me.

More importantly, I viewed it as an attempted power grab.

Whether that was the intention or not, that is how I viewed the proposal.

We are talking about the governance of our public schools and a School Committee that should ultimately be accountable to the people of Pawtucket.

I could not support an effort that I believed would shift significant influence over that body away from voters and toward City Hall. Particularly the mayor and City Council leadership.

If Pawtucket is going to fundamentally change the way its School Committee is constituted, that conversation should be deliberate, transparent, and driven by a compelling case presented to the public. Not something that residents feel is being rushed through.

Our schools belong to the community, and Pawtucket residents should have a strong and direct voice in determining who oversees them.

THE RODENT PROBLEM

The second deciding factor was an issue residents across Pawtucket have been talking about for years: rats.

This is not a minor inconvenience. It is a serious quality-of-life issue affecting neighborhoods throughout our city.

Adam Greenman has presented a comprehensive plan for addressing the problem, including attacking the food sources that sustain rodent populations, exploring rodent birth-control methods, improving rat-resistant infrastructure, sewer baiting, and using better reporting and data to identify problem areas and direct city resources.

Will every part of that plan work exactly as proposed?

We won't know unless there is an opportunity to put those ideas into action.

But what matters to me is that there is a plan.

It's a plan that recognizes the seriousness of the problem and proposes multiple ways to attack it.

Mayor Grebien's response has largely centered around abandoned and neglected properties. Certainly, those properties can contribute to rodent problems and absolutely should be addressed.

But after years of residents complaining about rats throughout Pawtucket, I simply don't believe that goes far enough.

For me, the School Committee proposal coupled with the lack of a comprehensive plan to address Pawtucket's rodent problem became the deciding factors in this endorsement.

When I compare the two candidates, their ideas, their priorities, their records, and their visions for where Pawtucket goes from here, I keep coming back to the same conclusion:

It is time for a change.

Mayor Grebien has served Pawtucket for 16 years. That is a significant commitment to this city, and regardless of political differences, that service deserves to be acknowledged.

But 16 years in any leadership position is a long time.

Over time, any administration can become comfortable with the way things have always been done. New leadership can bring new ideas, new energy, new perspectives, and a renewed sense of urgency.

It's also one of the reasons I am a strong believer in term limits, but that's a conversation for another day.

Today, the question is much simpler:

Who do I believe is best positioned to lead Pawtucket into its next chapter?

After speaking directly with both candidates, listening to what they had to say, examining the record, studying their proposals, and considering the direction I believe our city needs to take, my choice is clear.

Entering Pawtucket endorses Adam Greenman for Mayor of Pawtucket.

I believe Adam represents the change in leadership Pawtucket needs at this moment. He has brought forward new ideas, demonstrated a willingness to challenge the status quo, and presented a vision for Pawtucket that I believe deserves an opportunity to become reality.

But I want to make something else very clear:

This endorsement is not a blank check.

If Adam Greenman is elected mayor, Entering Pawtucket will hold his administration to the same standard.

I will expect him to follow through on the commitments he has made. I will expect transparency. I will expect him to listen to residents. And when I believe his administration gets something wrong, I will say so.

Entering Pawtucket's responsibility does not change based on who occupies the mayor's office.

I also recognize that many Pawtucket residents will disagree with this endorsement.

That's okay.

Healthy disagreement is part of the democratic process. My goal isn't to tell anyone how they must vote. My goal is to explain how I reached my decision and encourage every Pawtucket voter to make an informed decision of their own.

Watch the interviews. Listen to both candidates. Examine the record. Read their proposals. Ask questions.

Then make the decision you believe is best for Pawtucket.

I've made mine.

For Entering Pawtucket, that choice is Adam Greenman for Mayor.

It's time for a change.