Budget watch begins

Mayor concerned by school costs, funding from state

John Howell
Posted 2/26/15

This is the time for budgets and in the next week the mayor and school officials will pay close attention to what Gov. Gina Raimondo advances as a state-spending plan.

“We want to protect what …

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Budget watch begins

Mayor concerned by school costs, funding from state

Posted

This is the time for budgets and in the next week the mayor and school officials will pay close attention to what Gov. Gina Raimondo advances as a state-spending plan.

“We want to protect what we have,” Mayor Scott Avedisian said Tuesday. He said he and other mayors want to ensure cities and towns get at least the same level of state funding they receive in the current year. This includes a variety of state funding programs, with the largest being state aid for education.

“We’re hopeful everything stays in the budget,” he said.

There is some expectation that school funding will remain untouched.

School business affairs director Anthony Ferrucci said Tuesday the word from the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is that the current school funding formula will stay in place. That would be good news for Warwick, for according to Ferrucci’s projections, the city could get an additional $600,000 next year.

He explained the city’s state funding has increased steadily over the past five years under a formula to equalize funding among municipalities based on enrollment. To be safe, as enrollment is continuing to drop, Ferrucci plans to back the $600,000 projection down to $450,000.

In the current year, Warwick schools receive $36,057,000 in state aid. The city allocation for the current year is $119,482,000. But the city school budget is larger than a combination of the two major sources of revenue.

The originally adopted budget of $158,872,255 was revised to include surpluses carried forward to $162,206,756. That could change again at the March 18 School Committee meeting.

The mayor said from talks with Superintendent Richard D’Agostino, he is hearing the department faces a $500,000 deficit. He said he has talked with City Council President Donna Travis about the issue and he may ask the council for a resolution calling on schools for a corrective action plan.

Ferrucci said there’s the potential for a $500,000 deficit, however contingencies total $800,000. These are accounts that change based on tuitions paid Warwick schools; special education students that are sent out of district; job vacancies not immediately filled; funds earmarked for legal fees; and buildings and other variables.

“All of those things trickle through,” said Ferrucci. At the meeting on the 18th he will present a projected balanced budget for the committee to act on.

D’Agostino said the mayor’s call for a deficit reduction plan is “uncalled for at this time.” The committee will get the picture on the 18th with options on possible courses of action.

As for next year, D’Agostino said he would look to fund initiatives the mayor has endorsed, such as providing ChromeBooks to all 9th graders. He expects to open two more all-day kindergartens, bringing all day-k to 11 of the city’s 16 elementary schools. At this point, he said Norwood and another school are being considered based on enrollment projections. As enrollment has dropped across the district, the department has combined half-day programs into full days. Assisting, the Warwick Teachers Union has agreed to classroom sizes exceeding their contract.

A teacher contract is also on D’Agostino’s radar for next year. He said Rosemary Healey, the department’s legal counsel and director of human resources, has been in touch with the union to begin contract talks.

Contracts will also play a role in the mayor’s budget. All three of the city’s major labor contracts – police, fire and municipal employees – expire on June 30. The unions and administration have been in talks over an extended period and it would appear that coming to the conclusion of a three-year agreement with no increase in pay that an increase is in the offing. In the current year, the contract included a wage re-opener clause, which the unions chose not to activate. As an incentive, Avedisian offered a $1,000 bonus to all city employees. He budgeted $800,000 for the bonuses. Municipal employees received bonuses in November. Police and fire chose not to take theirs, leaving $403,000 of that budget item unspent.

Asked last week as to the status of contract talks, Avedisian said they are ongoing but there is nothing to report at that time.

In an email response to that status of budget preparations, Avedisian wrote, “We are just starting the process of sending packets of information to the Department Directors concerning the upcoming budget so specifics are not possible at this point.”

As key issues, Avedisian identified a possible school request for an additional $2 million for fire code improvements.

“If those upgrades are done, it will commit the School Department to an additional $10 million in upgrades at the same two school buildings. I and several council members have made it very clear that we do not favor allocating money for upgrades until there is a clear vision for the future use of all school buildings,” he said referencing Gorton and Aldrich Junior High Schools. The future of the two schools is uncertain given the decline in school enrollment and proposals to consolidate secondary schools to give the city two middle schools and two high schools.

From early budget discussions, Avedisian expects additional personnel requests to deal with the large volume of public records requests. He also notes the city is required to do a full revaluation this year that will result in added costs.

And while the mayor is watching to see how the state budget will impact the city, council members are looking to see the mayor’s financial priorities.

“I want to see more for roads, especially after this year,” said Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur. Last year the council sought to increase funding for repaving, but the mayor vetoed the added amount and the council was unable to override the veto. Instead, the mayor proposed a $5 million road bond, which the council failed to authorize in time for the question to appear on the November ballot.

Ladouceur also wants to see the school budget, and in particular, should the School Committee name a new superintendent, that person’s priorities.

Ward 3 Councilwoman Camille Vella-Wilksinson is hopeful Warwick Nite Program funding is part of the budget. Under the program, council members are provided up to $5,000 to fund police patrols in their wards. She is also watching to see the school budget.

Avedisian was not surprised to learn of Ladouceur’s comments.

“I know that other pet projects will be advanced as we move forward and that is when the juggling act will begin,” he said.

Avedisian said it is too early to know whether the city will be reimbursed for expenses relating to the blizzard.

“If that happens in this Fiscal Year, the snow budget will be fine. If it does not happen until next Fiscal Year, there would be a back charge if allowable,” he said.

And news that surely will be welcomed by many non-profits and youth sports in the city, the mayor said he has no intention of eliminating or reducing contributive support from his budget.

Department directors have been asked to submit their budgets to the finance director by March 6. The mayor will submit his budget to the City Council on May 13.

Gov. Raimondo is to have her budget to the General Assembly by March 12. She will address legislators in a joint session that night.

Comments

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  • patientman

    The mayor thinks funding city roads is a pet project. Interesting.

    Thursday, February 26, 2015 Report this

  • RoyDempsey

    How about a corrective action plan from the CITY?

    Saturday, February 28, 2015 Report this

  • allent

    jets see how much ding a ling's going to raise them this year

    Monday, March 2, 2015 Report this