PORTSMOUTH — During a tour of Portsmouth Middle School March 19, Gov. Gina Raimondo painted a rosy picture of her proposal for $250 million in bonds in the fiscal 2019 budget to start fixing …
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PORTSMOUTH — During a tour of Portsmouth Middle School March 19, Gov. Gina Raimondo painted a rosy picture of her proposal for $250 million in bonds in the fiscal 2019 budget to start fixing Rhode Island school buildings.
Later that night, School Committee members voted unanimously for a resolution throwing their support behind the school infrastructure project.
But on Monday night, several members of the Town Council took a decidedly more skeptical view of the proposal and defeated a motion for an identical resolution, proposed by the nonprofit coalition Fix our Schools RI, in a 3-3 vote. Council Vice President Kevin Aguiar was absent from Monday’s meeting.
“This is Gina’s way of getting votes in the state of Rhode Island,” said council member David Gleason, who voted against the resolution and called the proposed bond politically motivated.
He also questioned how taxpayers could afford the governor’s infrastructure plan, which totals $1 billion over the next five years. (The governor’s Rhode Island Schoolhouse Study identified more than $2 billion of deficiencies in the state’s public schools, including about $52 million in Portsmouth.)
“The numbers are staggering; I don’t see how we’re going to do it,” Mr. Gleason said.
Even Council President Keith Hamilton, who voted in favor of the resolution, had his doubts which he expressed directly to the governor during the middle school tour. He questioned the governor’s claim that Portsmouth could be eligible for up to 55 percent in reimbursement on school construction costs if the district moves quickly and follows certain criteria outlined in the program. The district’s current reimbursement rate is 35 percent.
“Does the phrase ‘redheaded stepchild’ mean anything to you?” Mr. Hamilton asked Erich Haslehurst of Fix Our Schools Now, which has been working to promote investments to make all public school buildings “warm, safe and dry” and bring them up to date for 21st century learning.
Mr. Hamilton noted that the Portsmouth school district has already made significant upgrades to its school buildings — such as replacing every school’s boiler — through capital improvements. School Committee Thomas Vadney agreed, telling the council, “We’re actively maintaining our schools and a lot of other communities aren’t.”
Despite that, Mr. Hamilton said, the town is getting “whacked $250,000, $300,000” every year in state aid reductions.
“I’m tired of being penalized for doing the right thing in Portsmouth,” said Mr. Hamilton, adding that many people are under the false impression that Portsmouth can afford to pay for the upgrades on its own. “We’ve got people living day to day.”
‘Not based on wealth’
Lisa Nelson, also of Fix Our Schools Now, replied that the awarding of any additional reimbursements “is not based on wealth, it’s based on the projects you choose to do.” Besides need, other leading criteria include health and safety upgrades, investments in STEAM technology, energy efficiency, as well as the district’s speed in making those improvements, the governor has said.
Responding to concerns over the expense of the governor’s program, Mr. Haslehurst said General Treasurer Seth Magazine assured Fix Our Schools Now that the state can afford the upgrades, a comment that drew a chuckle from council member Elizabeth Pedro.
“Of course he did,” said Ms. Pedro, who voted against the resolution.
“I just think the money’s going to go right up to Central Falls, where it probably should go,” she said after the meeting. “But don’t come here and say it’s going to come to Portsmouth, because I just don’t believe that.”
Ms. Pedro also cited a recent media report stating that governments at all levels in Rhode Island have already accumulated $10.5 billion in debt — $17 billion if you count pension liabilities.
‘Digging a bigger hole’
“I agree with Liz that when we keep bonding and bonding and bonding, we keep digging a bigger hole. Somewhere you have to cut it off,” Mr. Gleason said after the meeting. He added he believes funding will be awarded to towns that need it more than Portsmouth.
“I have no doubt it’s going to be on the ballot anyway, and everybody should be able to vote for that. But I think it shows more weight on how we’re viewed in Portsmouth by not being one of those people that supports this resolution, instead of following the leader. I have nothing against the School Department. I’ll probably lose votes because people will take it that way, but that was not my intent,” he said.
Council member Paul Kesson also voted against the resolution, saying he hasn't seen enough information that showed the schools had targeted deficiencies that meet the infrastructure program’s criteria.
“I don’t have hopes we’re going to get the money,” Mr. Kesson said after the meeting. “I think we could get it if we had the right projects. You’re asking me to vote and we don’t even have the right projects. Why would I promote something if we’re not eligible for it? Some of my votes are pretty much that simple. I’m not a bad guy.”
Council member Linda Ujifusa, who voted for the resolution along with Mr. Hamilton and council member J. Mark Ryan, said Portsmouth could lose out if it doesn’t support the governor’s plan.
“This is a chance for our public schools to get more money,” she said.