By JOSEPH B. NADEAU

WOONSOCKET — Yes, City Council President Leo T. Fontaine does plan to fill out the rest of Mayor Susan D. Menard’s remaining term and will take on that task even with the looming troubles ahead with state funding to the city.
Fontaine offered that answer to the still looming question as to his interest in the charter-specified duty after meeting with Menard this week.

 “It’s certainly going to be a challenge for myself and my family and I spoke to them about that,” Fontaine said. “But we are certainly prepared to make the adjustments that we need to make,” he added.
The charter calls for the City Council President to take over the unexpired term of a departing Mayor and that would put Fontaine into the office for about 18 months before the seat comes up again in a city election.
 Fontaine currently works in a family legal and probate research business and is working on a plan to turn that responsibility over to someone else as part of his assumption of the mayor’s office. Fontaine, 38, a resident of Tara Lane, would be paid the Mayor’s $80,000-a-year salary under his new role.
Although he decided at the outset of last fall’s city election campaign to seek re-election to his seat on the Council over a run for Mayor, Fontaine admitted he has long had interest in the City Hall leadership post and believed he could one day bring his Council experience to that office.
The mayor’s decision last week to end a seemingly non-stop series of controversies cropping up in her administration with her retirement will now give Fontaine that opportunity.
“It’s not just something that I want to do, but a responsibility that I have, a commitment to do this for a community I care very deeply about,” he said.
Fontaine said he took the first steps toward starting a transition during a meeting with Menard earlier this week and discussing a schedule for the two to begin working on the city budget that will be going to the Council some time in May. More meetings are planned the weeks ahead, and Menard indicated she may even leaving her post earlier than the June 15 date she set last week, possibly June 1 as an alternative, he said. 
 Managing the city’s $110 million spending plan for the coming year will be the biggest challenge he will likely face in months ahead given the predictions for reduced state funding coming to city as part of the state’s ongoing budget troubles, according to Fontaine.
 Fontaine said he also expects to the council to continue work on an investigation of city hall operations and that the outcome of that process should help him in the future as mayor.
 “I think the responsibility to answer these questions carries over into a review of city government as a whole,” Fontaine said.