Lobbies Assembly against proposed spending cuts

By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — In a message that sounded as chilling as the temperatures outside, Mayor James E. Doyle addressed the City Council Wednesday night about the impact Gov. Donald Carcieri’s supplemental budget proposal would have on city services, schools and general finances.

The mayor also urged the council members as well as taxpayers to lobby local legislative leaders to provide the state funding that was originally promised, and to look for solutions other than the governor’s proposal to solve the state’s deficit.
In a show of unity, the City Council responded by unanimously passing a resolution stating its opposition to the mid-year cuts to state aid for municipalities and school departments as proposed. The resolution also urges the General Assembly to enact a package of articles in the governor’s budget that are supported by the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns as tools to control spending. Additionally, the resolution asks that legislators consider solving at least part of the deficit through “broad based revenue enhancements as needed to protect the health and welfare of the residents of Rhode Island.”
Doyle pointed out that, last year at this time, the Governor proposed a 25 percent cut in state aid to balance the fiscal year 2008 budget, resulting in an eventual loss of $1.4 million for Pawtucket. He said the city reigned in spending, eliminated positions and withdrew from its reserve fund to make up for the losses.
This year, the Governor has proposed the total elimination of state aid, which, Doyle stated, will create a $4.9 million deficit in the current city budget. He also said that proposed cuts to school funding could range anywhere from just under $1 million to $3 million. This financial blow would come on top of the city’s deficit of $620,000 and a projected school deficit of $5.1 million (according to recent School Committee estimates).
“There is no way to absorb this cut through reduced spending,” stated Doyle.
See BUDGET, Page A-2
“The fact is, if the General Assembly totally eliminates our promised state aid, Pawtucket will be bankrupt.” To hammer home his point, the Mayor said that even if his administration imposed a three-day work week for municipal employees, achieved a 20 percent healthcare co-pay and laid off 10 percent of the city’s workforce, the total savings “would not come close” to offsetting the loss in state aid. He added that city workers would also be subject to a 50 percent pay cut under this budget scenario.

Doyle added that the city’s “only hope” is to persuade the General Assembly to fully fund the dollars that were promised and to urge legislators “to look for other solutions to plug the state’s deficit.” To that end, he urged “every resident of Pawtucket” to contact their General Assembly leadership, or to join him at the State House today at a 1 p.m. hearing at the House Finance Committee.

City Council members were in agreement with Doyle in opposing the governor’s plan. Councilor David Moran said that many of the articles that have been proposed to provide financial relief to cash-strapped municipalities would end up having little or no effect in the current fiscal year, due to their timing. Councilor Thomas Hodge said the Governor is being “totally off base here” in his belief that the loss of state aid can be absorbed by municipalities.

Councilor John Barry III said he is “convinced that the folks in this city don’t have another penny to pay out of their pockets.” However, echoing the feelings of other board members, he allowed, “We’re between a rock and a hard place.”

Hodge also weighed in on the tax issue, faulting the legislature for voting to approve a municipal tax cap and then reneging on state aid that had been promised to offset it. He added that he wished to commend the School Committee for opting not to pursue a Caruolo action to gain additional funding, saying it would amount to an “assault on taxpayers.”