Cranston Mayor Used Town Resources to Fix Personal Truck

Lombardi says he uses the vehicle to plow town roads and will reimburse the costs.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Target 12 has learned that Cranston Mayor Charles Lombardi used Department of Public Works employees and town equipment to fix his privately owned truck following last week's blizzard. Lombardi claims he uses the vehicle to plow town roads and says he will reimburse the cost of the parts.

Why it matters

The use of public resources for private purposes raises concerns about the ethical and legal use of taxpayer-funded services, especially in a time of tight municipal budgets and limited resources.

The details

According to the report, Mayor Lombardi had DPW workers repair his personal truck using town equipment after the recent snowstorm. Lombardi defended his actions, stating that he uses the truck to plow town roads during winter weather events and that he will reimburse the town for the cost of the parts used in the repair.

  • Last week's blizzard prompted the repairs to Mayor Lombardi's personal truck.

The players

Charles Lombardi

The mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island.

Cranston Department of Public Works (DPW)

The municipal department that provided employees and equipment to repair the mayor's personal truck.

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What they’re saying

“I use the vehicle to plow town roads and will reimburse the cost of parts.”

— Charles Lombardi, Mayor

What’s next

The town council is expected to review the mayor's use of public resources and determine if any policies or procedures were violated.

The takeaway

This incident raises questions about the appropriate use of municipal resources and the need for clear guidelines to prevent conflicts of interest or the misuse of taxpayer-funded services, especially by elected officials.