By VINAYA SAKSENA

CENTRAL FALLS — After a prolonged volley of bad news regarding government finances in Rhode Island and beyond, the Central Falls City Council is hoping to finish work on the city’s budget for the coming fiscal year by the middle of the week, while attempting to minimize the pain, according to Mayor Charles Moreau.

The council has been holding budget workshops to discuss department budgets in recent weeks, and is scheduled to vote on the budget in the coming week. The city has advertised hearings for Monday and Thursday, though Moreau expressed hope that the process could be completed a day sooner.
“We’re going to shoot for Wednesday,” the mayor said. “I personally don’t think that it will change at all, to be honest with you.”
Moreau said the tax rate would likely rise by approximately 3.5 percent. Under the budget proposal currently being considered by the council, he said, the city’s residential property tax rate would be set at $10.54 per $1,000, up from the current rate of $10.04.
Like many communities in Rhode Island and elsewhere, Central Falls is undergoing its budget process under what appear to be increasingly dire conditions, characterized by revenue shortages attributed to property foreclosures and cuts in state and federal aid. According to information included in the city’s advertisement of the upcoming budget hearings, state revenue to the city is projected at $5,413,484 compared with $5,814,198 for the current fiscal year.
In the city’s print advertisement of the hearings, expenditures outlined for the 2008-2009 fiscal year were projected to decrease in several areas, with major purchases being allotted $20,000, compared with $376,000 in the current year. Included figures also showed decreases for police, public safety (other than fire and police), public works, library, recreation, community development and employee benefits.
Nevertheless, Moreau said he would attempt to keep services, particularly those related to public safety, strong in the city. He reiterated a previous statement that he intended to not compromise public safety, adding that talks were ongoing with union officials and other involved parties to find other ways to save money. Moreau said he could not comment on these matters as of press time for legal reasons.
“My responsibility is to the taxpayers,” Moreau said. “We will not cut services. Public safety and the taxpayers are my two biggest priorities.”
The council’s first budget hearing of the week is scheduled for Monday, June 23 at 5:30 p.m. in the city council chambers. The chambers are located in Central Falls City Hall, 580 Broad St.