EAST PROVIDENCE — Add two more East Providence City Councilors to the list of those opposed to the School Committee's decision to back a plan to deconsolidate the Human Resources Department.

A day after Council President and Mayor Tommy Rose issued a similarly phrased condemnation of the decision, At-Large Councilor Tracy Capobianco and Ward 2 representative Helder Cunha each issued press releases chastising the Committee's 5-0 vote to once again have separate HR divisions.

Mr. Cunha offered the following remarks:

"This very large and unnecessary expenditure, is an affront to the students in the system, our teachers, who are the lowest paid in the state and the citizens of the city who struggle to pay the taxes for all this and more. We're not spending $600,000 on resources to educate our children, we're not trying to retain our best teachers by investing more in them, we're not even fixing mechanical systems that have been broken since before school let out. No, according to the school committee we need to spend that kind of money to create high paying administration jobs. We're paying that kind of money to hire more bosses and what makes it worse is that the school committee wants $4 million dollars more than last year. The proposed city budget has no increase in taxes. The school committee wants to raise taxes between $2 and $4 per thousand of valuation in order to waste money on these hires. No one from the superintendent to the chair of the committee has appeared at a council meeting to explain why these jobs need to be created and filled. They just vote to do these kinds of things and expect the rest of us to pay for them."

Said Mrs. Capobianco:

"I originally took the position that if the school department wanted to hire a Human Resources professional, I would not object. That was how it was explained to me. I was also critical of the harshness of tone in the statement released by the mayor last night. However, as today has progressed, I have been learning more details of what they really intend to do and it apparently involves creating an entire Human Resources Department at a cost exceeding $600,000. I am categorically opposed to spending this kind of money for new high paying administration jobs.

"If they were talking about hiring reading specialists or investing in teachers or buying technology or equipment or supplies for our classrooms. all things that are plentiful in the schools in towns around us but are sorely lacking here in East Providence, I could be supportive. If they were talking about spending that kind of money on replacing or repairing a leaking roof or a malfunctioning boiler, I would probably agree. But to propose to spend it on new jobs which pay double and triple what the average taxpayer in our city makes, and doing this while asking to have taxes raised so they can spend $4 million dollars more than last year, then I cannot agree. I still believe that it is far better for everyone if the city council and the school committee work together in a mature and respectful way, but I have a duty to protect and promote the quality of life in this city, which always must include the schools, but somebody has to pay the bills when they come due and that somebody is always the taxpayer. In this case the taxpayer interest needs to be protected, and I intend to look out for them."

Of the five members of the Council, only Ward 1 representative Bobby Britto has yet to chime in the matter. Hours after Mr. Rose's scathing rebuke of the Committee, Ward 4 Councilor Tim Conley announced his support of the decision of the Committee to allow for the school district to have its own HR division.