Public has until noon Thursday to submit comments on 6 RI inspector general finalists

The public has until noon Thursday to send written comments on the six candidates vying to become Rhode Island’s first inspector general to the five-member commission who will be interviewing them.

But the search panel has yet to decide whether it will post those comments online. A decision is on the agenda for the Inspector General Independent Advisory Commission’s meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday at the State House. The agenda was posted Tuesday.

Given the nature of the job, increasing government transparency, accountability and efficiency, the comments should be made public, Steven Brown, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, said.

“Clearly this information should be public,” Brown said in an interview. “Public bodies of all kinds make that sort of correspondence public.”

The commission consists of Attorney General Peter Neronha, Secretary of State Gregg Amore, General Treasurer James Diossa, Rhode Island Ethics Commission Executive Director Jason Gramitt of the and Will Fletcher, president of the Association of Inspectors General. The commission has voted on every action it has taken since its short search for the newest statewide position created by the General Assembly began in July.

Tim Rondeau, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office, said the panel has “been posting everything we’ve received thus far,” including the resumes of all 33 people who applied during the 17 days the job posting was online.

Only eight of the 33 had certification from the Association of Inspectors General, a requirement set in the fiscal 2027 budget that created the position. From there, the panel narrowed down six contenders for the position: Stuart Robinson, David Harper, Mark Priebe, Jim Kirdar, Steven Kreuger, and Thomas Whetstone.

Interviews with the six finalists will be held Thursday, Sept. 24. The agenda posted Wednesday afternoon notes a possible vote on the three names the commission must forward to Gov. Dan McKee by Sept. 28.

The governor will then have 90 days to send his nominee to the Rhode Island Senate for advice and consent.

The job posting crafted by the commission following its July 29 meeting allows interviews to be held in person or via video conference. Candidates who travel to attend an in-person interview may be eligible for reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses. 

A five-year term comes with the position, with the inspector general eligible for reappointment for one additional five-year term. The annual salary range set by the commission is $175,000 to $225,000.