Erin Beaudry, in her capacity as Personal Representative of the Estate of Armand Beaudry v. Randy Rossi, in his capacity as Finance Director/Treasurer for the Town of Smithfield

Syllabus

The plaintiff, Erin Beaudry, in her capacity as Personal Representative of the Estate of Armand Beaudry, appealed from a Superior Court judgment in favor of the defendant, Randy Rossi, in his capacity as Finance Director/Treasurer for the Town of Smithfield. Specifically, the Superior Court granted the defendant's motion for summary judgment and dismissed the plaintiff's amended complaint without prejudice, in order to give the plaintiff an opportunity to exhaust the available administrative remedy relative to her claim.<br><br>The matter initially arose from a dispute over the plaintiff's disability pension benefits from the town. The central issue on appeal was whether an amendment to the town's pension plan had been properly enacted by the town council.<br><br>On appeal, the Supreme Court reviewed the validity of the amendment as a matter of law. After reviewing the language of the town charter and the relevant caselaw, the Court held that the amendment was not properly enacted by the town council. As a result, the Court concluded that no administrative remedy existed at the time of the plaintiff's claim and that, therefore, she had proceeded properly in the Superior Court.<br><br>Accordingly, the Supreme Court vacated the judgment of the Superior Court.<br><br><br>