Rhode Island General Laws Title 45. Towns and Cities § 45-26-4. Appointment, terms, and compensation of commissioner

(a)(1) When the town council adopts a resolution creating a town authority, the town council shall appoint five (5) persons as commissioners of the town authority; provided, however, that the town of Lincoln shall appoint seven (7) persons as commissioners of the town authority. The commissioners who are first appointed shall be designated to serve for terms of one, two (2), three (3), four (4), and five (5) years, respectively, from the date of their appointment, but, subsequently, commissioners shall be appointed for a term of office of five (5) years, except that all vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term, those appointments to be made by the town council.

(2) Provided, however, that the commission members of the town authority of the town of Lincoln must be residents of the town of Lincoln during the term of their appointment. Provided, further, that at least one of the commission members of a town authority must be a resident as well as a resident of a public housing facility during the term of their appointment. A public housing resident commissioner shall be appointed by the appointing authority from a list of nominees chosen in open election by the occupants of public housing. Upon the failure of the election process, there shall be a provision for an application process. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as preventing the appointing authority from appointing more than one resident of public housing to the commission.

(3) Provided, however that the commission members of the city housing authority of the city of Central Falls must be approved by a majority of the members of the Central Falls city council and must also be residents of the city of Central Falls during the term of their appointment to the housing authority.