To the editor,

East Providence City Manager Peter Graczykowski wants a raise.

After the Budget Commission left and imposed some semblance of fiscal order on this banana republic, Peter Gracykowski wants to hit already overburdened taxpayers with a another bill to pad his well feathered nest. As reported by The Post in the September 26th issue, Graczykowski's compensation package would balloon from $178,667 to $197,540 His base salary would  lurch from $125,000 to $142,800. Nice work if you can get it.

Mr. City Manager, let this serve as your public performance review and the facts under consideration are these:

1. East Providence school children often go to school with no textbooks.

2. Parents, family and friends are raising money themselves to fund school sports

3. The high school is dangerously out of repair.

4. The city has failed to renegotiate its contract with United Water and water bills

continue to rise.

5. The City Manager allowed a citizen's Social Security number to appear on a

city website for almost two weeks.

6. The City Manager and Finance Director Malcolm Moore have not committed to

fully funding the Annual Retirement Contribution (ARC) to the East Providence

Police Officer's pension.The departed Budget Commission had made this ob-

ligation a clear priority.

To add to this litany of substandard performance, Mr. Graczykowski and Mr. Moore want to change the city fiscal year start from October 1 to July 1. The latter date is used by the state and a majority of other municipalities. As reported by The Post last week, a "synchronization bond" is being discussed to make up for a large hole in the new budget when the change is made. A gap of between $20 and $25 million dollars was estimated by the Finance Director.

Sit for a minute and think. Are pay raises the correct priority in the face of these facts and the prospect of taking on a new bond, funded by the deep pocketed taxpayer? A raise is in the offing for Mr. Moore as well. It's funny how they never lead with those kinds of facts.

Mayor Briden was correct  to oppose pay raises. I encourage every East Providence citizen to fight these undeserved hikes and to demand that the City Council hold to the plan left us by the Budget Commission. We can't have a future without a few adults in the room. Finally, the City Manager needs to be dismissed. He has no contract so this will not be difficult.

The City of East Providence may fire without cause. It's time to fire the City Manager with cause and the case is more than plain.

Tim Norton

Rumford