Mayor Scott Avedisian told the Senate Commission to Study Municipal Shared Services Thursday afternoon that in his experience, if the state doesn’t mandate that municipalities and school departments share services, they won’t.

“Our efforts to combine services and operations with the Warwick School Department remain a continued source of frustration, particularly when one considers that in recent years - including debt service and other school services and programs paid for by the city - schools have received between 65 and 70 percent of the entire budget allocation,” Avedisian told the committee.

“Unless it is mandated by the state, there is no chance that we’ll see consolidation…between the city and the school department.”

Avedisian told the committee that the provision in state law giving school departments full “custody, care, and control” of all school department operations has created a “turf” mentality, with leaders unwilling to part with any authority.

The committee is made up of municipal leaders from throughout the state, including North Kingstown Town Manager Michael Embury, and Senator Louis DiPalma (Newport, Little Compton, Middletown, Tiverton), who is chairman.

Avedisian also told the committee that the city and school department have consolidated only one service: trash pickup/recycling, which took place in the fall of 2008. Thus far, the consolidation has saved $84,000 in tipping fees and the cost of hiring a private contractor to haul the trash away.

But frustrating for the city, Avedisian said, is the fact that no progress has been made in combining the information technology departments, payroll, administration, building and maintenance, purchasing and several other similar functions.

School department officials have argued that consolidations are easier said than done. The Warwick Independent School Employees Union has been without a contract for three years, and is working under the terms of their old contract—which contains a “no layoff” provision. That fact has put a monkey wrench into attempts to combine building and maintenance functions.

With respect to the consolidation of IT departments, the school department has argued that it would lose its E-Rate funding, a federally created program that gives school departments access to cheaper Internet and telecommunications services.

Avedisian said that if the two sides worked together, the obstacles could be overcome.

“I do not believe the many changes RIPEC has suggested would be as technically and logistically difficult to implement or that these obstacles are insurmountable, as some claim. My administration remains committed to implementing RIPEC’s recommendations and is willing to continue trying to negotiate with school officials in this regard,” said Avedisian.

“I must repeat my earlier statement that it remains a source of frustration that such a high percentage of the municipal budget funds the school department, yet city officials have no authority to make cost-effective, taxpayer-friendly changes to the district.”

The mayor took the opportunity to plug the discussions that have taken place with neighboring communities to consolidate services. The city of Warwick and the town of East Greenwich came to a yard waste agreement earlier this year that consolidates those functions between the two communities.

Warwick is also continuing negotiations with the East Greenwich Fire District, which will combine dispatch functions between the two communities. East Greenwich needs to upgrade its technology before the consolidation can take place.

“East Greenwich is in the process of looking at what equipment they would need to acquire and what the cost would be. I have also had preliminary conversations with North Kingstown Town Manager Michael Embury about a similar agreement with his town once the East Greenwich project is operational,” Avedisian said.

Avedisian has also had discussions with East Greenwich about combing harbor master departments.

“My administration is currently working with [Cranston] Mayor Fung’s staff to examine the possibility of combining two departments, with Warwick as the lead agency. I hope to have more to announce on this issue in the near future,” said Avedisian.

East Greenwich Town Manager Bill Sequino told the commission he agreed with Mayor Avedisian.

“Being second to Mayor Avedisian is easy. I would say ditto to everything he said from dealing with the school department right on down. We have had the same problems,” said Sequino.

Sequino said the citizens of his town are looking for consolidation.

“When you talk to the average taxpayer, they say ‘we write one check to the town, and we expect something to be done,’” said Sequino.

But lacking authority over school departments, Sequino argued that nothing could be done. Thus, as Avedisian argued, the need for a legislative mandate exists.

But DiPalma pointed out that political realities exist.

“People are in the middle of this. We have to be cognizant of that.”