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Council holds initial workshop on East Providence’s proposed FY2020-21 budget

Reviews allocations requested by police and fire departments, sets public hearing date

By Mike Rego
Posted 9/23/20

EAST PROVIDENCE — The City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 22, held the first in a planned series of discussion-only workshops about East Providence’s Fiscal Year 2020-21 draft budget delivered …

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Council holds initial workshop on East Providence’s proposed FY2020-21 budget

Reviews allocations requested by police and fire departments, sets public hearing date

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — The City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 22, held the first in a planned series of discussion-only workshops about East Providence’s Fiscal Year 2020-21 draft budget delivered by the office of Mayor Bob DaSilva late the week prior.

The council’s initial review of the proposed $169,051,000 financial outline included looks at the East Providence Police Department, its Animal Control and Harbormaster divisions, as well as the East Providence Fire Department.

Mayor DaSilva’s draft represents a $4.3 million increase over FY19-20 spending and comes with a proposed tax rate increase of approximately three percent.

The mayor formally presented the document to the council last Tuesday, having provided his draft to the body on September 17, which was the final day possible per City Charter. It states in the charter, the executive branch shall give its legislative counterpart a proposed budget no later than 45 days before the end of the current fiscal year. In East Providence that date annually in October 31. The city’s fiscal year begins on November 1.

Mayor DaSilva’s introductory remarks September 22 mirrored those he wrote in an associated release of his draft. Besides collectively bargained obligations to employees and other operating expenses totaling $2.6 million more than last year, the overall increase in the budget also included a $1.4 million set-aside to fund future debt payments for the new $185.9 million East Providence High School.

In addition, the mayor’s budget proposal includes a request to restore the homestead property tax exemption back to 14 percent from the current 13. The state-appointed Budget Commission charged in late 2011 to oversee the city’s then shaky finances initiated a gradual homestead exemption reduction of one percent per year leading to its eventual removal. The commission instituted the drop in the FY12-13 budget and the council at the time included it one other time before it was halted at 13 percent. Subsequent councils have maintained the status quo since.

Police Department
Chief William Nebus gave a brief overview of the police department’s intended 2020-21 outlay of $17,541,250 up from $16,633,870 in the current fiscal year.

Chief Nebus said the near $910,000 increase was mostly due to contractual obligations for employees, saying it was an uptick in expenditures that was “out of our hands” because it was collectively bargained by the city with the unions of department employees.

The chief explained the bulk of the increases were an additional $310,000 towards retirement benefits, $240,000 for health insurance and $380,000 in salaries.

Two new line items in the budget referred to by Chief Nebus were for tuition reimbursement provided to officers who further their educations, which he noted was per state law, and a $67,000 earmark to update the department’s technology and software.

Of the Harbor Master ($50,595) and Animal Control ($337,818) divisions, both under the auspices of police and showing relatively stable budgets year-over-year, Chief Nebus said each have rather “fixed costs” at the present time.

When asked by At-Large Councilor Bob Rodericks about current staffing levels, Chief Nebus said he expects to bring on some 10 new officers but that a similar number of current officers are eligible to retire in the coming year, meaning staffing levels will remain roughly the same.

Fire Department
Chief Glenn Quick opted not to give an opening overview of the fire department’s proposed FY2020-21 allocation of $22,378,482, up from $21,618,819, rather offering to immediately answer any questions from the council.

Chief Quick did note the increase year-over-year was similar to that of the police, the bulk of which, some $415,000, is contractually obligated salary increases with a significant healthcare rise as well.

The chief, answering an inquiry by Council President and Ward 1 member Bob Britto, said the department expects to run another training academy in FY20-21 for a class of upwards of 20 recruits. Chief Quick added it’s likely four to five current firefighters will retire next fiscal year.

Public hearing date
As per City Charter, the council was obliged to schedule at least one public hearing on the proposed new fiscal year budget. The body agreed to conduct the hearing during the first half of the next regularly scheduled council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

Next workshop
A second workshop is slated for Thursday night, Sept. 24, at City Hall in the council chamber. The forum can also be accessed online by visiting https://clerkshq.com/EastProvidence-ri.

The complete draft FY2020-21 budget can be view at https://stories.opengov.com/eastprovidenceri/published/iNesDQzug.

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