Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The total includes a budget for fire and rescue services, in anticipation of the town's takeover of the EG Fire District.
This story was amended at 8:30 a.m., May 15. The East Greenwich Town Council approved a $58 million budget for fiscal year 2014 Monday night, which included money for fire and rescue services in anticipation of Gov. Chafee's signing of the bill to merge the East Greenwich Fire District and the Town of East Greenwich. The budget will be presented to voters at the annual Financial Town Meeting in June. The tax rate would rise to $22.94 per $1,000 of assessed property value, up 70 cents over the current year's tax rate of $22.24* – a 3.14 percent increase. (*An important distinction here: $22.24 represents $20.14 for the Town of East Greenwich and $2.10 for the EG Fire District.) For a house valued at $400,000, that would mean a $9,176 tax …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Does the town buy a new dump truck this year? What about a new computer server? Or street trees? What about waiting a year to paint Town Hall?
The budget process is bumping up against the town's charter, which requires a budget be approved by the Town Council to approve a budget recommendation for the Financial Town Meeting by May 15. The FTM is Monday, June 11. So it's all budget all the time for the next two weeks anyway. Last month, Town Manager Bill Sequino proposed a $52.5 million budget for fiscal year 2014, which begins July 1. Such a budget would require a 3.2 percent tax rate increase, or 65 cents. On a house valued at $400,000, that would mean a tax bill of $8,316. By state law, the town cannot increase taxes any more than 4 percent next year, but after the initial budget was released, Town Council President Michael Isaacs asked Sequino to cut the increase to below 3 …
Monday, April 8, 2013
Your guide for life in East Greenwich today, April 8.
Town Council meeting/Public Hearing on 2014 Budget: The Town Council meets Monday night at Swift Community Center for the public hearing on the budget proposed by Town Manager Bill Sequino March 29. To see the proposed budget and Sequino’s budget message, click here. Also on the council’s agenda is a joint meeting with the Planning Board to discuss the Comprehensive Plan. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Swift. EG Housing Authority meeting: On the agenda is a review of the effects of federal sequestration and an update of the development at 2880 South County Trail. At 4:15 p.m. at 146 First Avenue. Avenger home action: Boys' Lacrosse versus Barrington, JV at 4 p.m., Varsity at 6 p.m. On Tuesday ... Cove Commission meeting: On the agenda …
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Increases in salaries, capital improvements, and pension costs account for much of the rise.
Town Manager Bill Sequino released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2014 Monday. The $52.5 million budget is an $1.8 million increase from the 2013 budget. Sequino said the reasons for the increase are higher salaries, spending on things like painting the exterior of Town Hall and road resurfacing, and higher pension costs. The EG School Department's portion of the budget is $31.8 million, a $626,000 increase over 2013. The total schools budget is $34.7 million (including state aid and other revenue). The public is invited to weigh in on the budget at the budget hearing on Monday, April 8, at 7 p.m. at Swift Community Center. To see the entire budget, click here. Sequino's budget reflects settled and anticipated salary increases of 2 …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Chief Coyle cites Newtown as reason for the second school resource officer.
Three months after the horrific school shootings in Newtown, Conn., the landscape for police in schools has changed. A year ago, the Town Council and School Committee were debating whether or not they could afford one full-time school resource officer. This budget year, Police Chief Tom Coyle has asked for a second full-time SRO. "We're looking at it," said Town Manager Bill Sequino after the Town Council meeting Monday night. The Fiscal Year 2014 budget is under review now. It will be presented to the Town Council by April 1 and will go before the voters at the Financial Town Meeting in June. "The reason would be because of Newtown," Coyle said of the additional SRO. "Because of our schools – I say seven, I count OLM because we go there …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
The budget includes money for the third grades to be moved up but does not include money for iPads for every student at EGHS.
Supt. Victor Mercurio presented a $34.7 million budget for 2014 to the School Committee Tuesday night, an increase of $1.1 million – 3.2 percent – over the current year. The School Committee must approve a budget to go to the Town Council by March 15. The increase to the town – to taxpayers – would be 2 percent, due to a proposed $500,000 increase in state aid as well as revenue sources, including tuition. The primary budget increases are for salaries ($218,097) and benefits ($560,778). The teachers contract expires June 30 and included in Mercurio's budget are non-negotiable step increases. Committee Chair David Green refused to say there was money built into the proposed budget for raises, but he did say there could be money available…
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Plans for the move are in the works, but school officials refuse to say it's a definite, pending final budget numbers.
For parents of East Greenwich second graders, one important piece of information they are looking for these days is whether or not their child will be attending a different school next fall. The answer is probably, but school officials will offer no guarantees. The School Committee decided last year to move the third grade classes from Meadowbrook and Frenchtown to Hanaford and Eldredge but budget constraints caused them to postpone enactment. The move had been recommendation of a reconfiguration study of the elementary schools prompted by the move of the sixth grade from Hanaford and Eldredge to Cole Middle School. One factor in the plan's favor this year is the cost looks to be substantially lower. Last year, the district would have …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Your guide for life in East Greenwich today, Jan. 31.
School Committee Budget Session: Tonight the School Committee will hear about the facilities and special education budgets. The meeting takes place in the library at Cole Middle School and starts at 6:30 p.m. Divorce Care group: This is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. People who understand what you are going through and want to help, lead the sessions. There will be a 30-40 minute video featuring top experts on divorce and recovery subjects, followed by a discussion and sharing time. Sessions will begin on Thursday, October 25, from 7 to 9 p.m. and will meet at Christ Church Ministry Center (Steeple View Condominiums, 61 Cedar Ave. #1, East Greenwich) for 13 …
Monday, January 21, 2013
Gov. Lincoln Chafee presented his budget last week. Now it's the General Assembly's turn.
EG Patch asked our state legislators what they thought of Gov. Lincoln Chafee's 2013 budget, presented on Jan. 16. Here are their responses: Rep. Anthony Giarrusso, R-Dist. 30: I haven't seen the nuts and bolts of Governor Chaffee's budget but I was inspired with what I heard and left the House Chamber with optimism. I was thrilled to hear that there were no proposals of tax or fee increases. I like the commitment to cut corporate income taxes and property taxes to make us more business friendly. I like his commitment to the increase in state aid for the school funding formula. I also like the fact that he's paying more attention to our infrastructure; our roads and bridges are in desperate need of repairs and maintenance to bring us on …
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
School officials tell the Town Council at a budget session Monday they will probably receive $2.2 million in state aid next year – up more than $400,000 over current year funding.
For years, East Greenwich elected officials have cried foul when it came to state funding allocations, arguing the town did not get its fair share. The state may have gotten the message. School officials told the Town Council Monday night at what was billed as a "pre-budget meeting," it looked very probable schools would receive $425,000 more than last year in state aid to education. EGSD Director of Administration Mary Ann Crawford said the figure should stay unchanged, unless state legislators decide to dismantle the education funding formula – unlikely since it only came about last year after several years of effort. That said, with built-in add-ons, the EGSD budget – by far the largest portion of the town's expenditures – will go up 3…
Elizabeth McNamara
2:21 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Town Council approved a one-year budget. I think the idea of a two-year budget was so everyone could see a little farther down the road, but not that it would be voted on. I will check on that to be sure. Thanks. more ›