New Article - Town Budget

News article from Kent County Times:

Council passes bare bones budget
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
HANNAH PIECUCH
hpiecuch@ricentral.

COVENTRY — The town council passed a level-funded budget on Monday night.

Residents will have the opportunity to uphold or deny the budget at the financial town meeting, scheduled for June 8.

Council President Raymond Spear, Vice-President Laura Flanagan and Glen Shibley were in attendance at the meeting and all supported the budget. Kenneth Cloutier and Frank Hyde were absent.

The budget reflects cuts or level-funding in nearly every department, said Town Manager Thomas Hoover in his report. For the most part, residents won’t see many changes to their services, he said.

He also mentioned the cuts made by the school committee, which amount to $1.3 million and take into account a level-funded municipal budget, cuts in state aid, and a five-year debt reduction plan.

“The main message is that there will be no increase in the tax rate this year as we approach the financial town meeting.”
Flanagan wanted to know how much town services will change under this budget.

“I hope to provide the same level of services,” Hoover said in response. But one area that will change is the police department.

The approved budget removes a request for two replacement officers and the department may lose up to four officers this year, Hoover said. Public safety is one of his top priorities as manager, he said, but there isn’t much he can do about the reductions in the budget.

If state aid comes in higher than expected, the council will restore the police department as much as they can, the three council members agreed.

As public discussion of the budget began, resident Bruce Desrosiers asked where Hyde and Cloutier were. “Ken Cloutier represents me and I would like to know if he would have an opinion, were he here.”

Later, Ron Gizzarelli agreed. Noting that Hyde and Cloutier have been absent from many recent meetings, he suggested that the Charter Review Commission look at penalizing council members who have many unexcused absences. “I think they should look at members not attending meetings or skipping meetings. If they don’t like [what’s being voted on] I want to hear their reasons.” His comment was followed by applause.

Hyde was absent, he said, because of a recent illness, but he is not happy with the budget that was passed. “Ray Spear and Laura Flanagan and Glen Shibley have been voting together since they got on the council,” he said. “It just seems to me that what they’re doing is taking all the money from the programs for sports and kids programs and paying the lawyers with it.”

Cloutier could not be reached for comment.

Resident Gary Beaudoin, a retired teacher, said the council should consider asking for a $0.50 per $1,000 tax increase. Finance Director Warren West estimated that such an increase would give the town about $1.7 million more in revenues.

“I’m very disturbed that there is a freeze affecting the town,” Beaudoin said. “I totally disagree with your position on no increases. It’s a philosophical problem. There are two kinds of councils in this town that are very dangerous. There is the liberal council that gives the store away — they give the unions whatever they want. And there is council that is too conservative and it’s ‘no, no, no.’” His comments, as well, were followed by applause.

Resident Ron Flynn thanked the council for taking the position that they have. “Thank you for being bold enough to keep the taxes level-funded,” he said. “I volunteer to drive the bus during football season for the cheerleaders. I don’t get a stipend or anything. More people need to step up and do that.”

School Committee Chairwoman Katherine Patenaude said she did not agree with the cuts being made to keep the budget level-funded. “I thought we made it pretty clear how much we need the $500,000 to keep from cutting people. I also don’t agree with the structural deficit [you’re creating] by using one-time sources of revenue. That is philosophically a stance that I can’t agree with.”

Coventry has been one of the highest taxed communities in the state ever since he first moved here 30 years ago, said Spear. He doesn’t ever want Coventry to become the least taxed area, but to bring the taxes down it’s going to take time and cuts like the ones being made this year.

“Rhode Island is in trouble, if you haven’t noticed,” Flanagan said as the comments drew to a close, “because we’ve spent and we’ve spent and we’ve spent. Level funding the budget is the only way to correct overspending so that we can get back down to a place where we can grow again. I do not think this room is representative of all the taxpayers in this town. I represent those taxpayers. I stand by this budget just as I did last year and holding the line on the taxes for just one year doesn’t get us where we want to be.”

It’s not easy to refuse to give agencies the money that they are asking for, Shibley added. “But the taxpayers I’ve talked to tell us ‘no more taxes’ and I don’t think they’re represented here. If I’m wrong they can come out and say ‘tax us more’ at the financial town meeting.”

All three members of the council that were present voted to approve the budget.

FINANCIAL TOWN MEETING JUNE 8TH VOTE YES ON A ZERO TAX INCREASE FOR COVENTRY‏

Forwarding an e-mail from Town Council member Laura Flanagan. The TC proposes a zero tax increase budge for the fiscal year begining 07/01/10. The meeting will be held 3 weeks from tonight. I hope many of you will attend and support a zero tax increase. Thanks.

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LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD..... >>>> MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Time: 7:00 pm
Date: Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
Place: Coventry High School

EVERY REGISTERED VOTER IN COVENTRY MUST ATTEND TO VOTE AND ENSURE NO TAX INCREASE FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

Please note that a NO TAX INCREASE BUDGET is being forwarded to the Financial Town Meeting for approval by the voters of Coventry. As a community, we must once again join together and say:

1) NO to wasteful spending that jeopardizes our current senior tax freeze
2) NO to the "same old way of doing business"
2) NO to the greed of special interests
3) NO to even one more dime
3) YES to a no tax increase budget

We can do more with less. We can continue to provide services to our residents. We must continue to say enough. We must not allow the scare tactics of special interests groups to derail our community from spending tax dollars conservatively and responsibly.

Please come out and let your voice be heard on June 8th, 2010. This is your right and your time to weigh in. Every voter counts!

Sincerely,
--
Laura A. Flanagan
Vice President
Town Council, Town of Coventry


"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead