By VINAYA SAKSENA

CENTRAL FALLS — The Central Falls City Council has given first passage to several ordinances proposed by Mayor Charles Moreau’s administration to address budgetary shortfalls and the possibility of tighter fiscal constraints.

A total of six ordinances were given preliminary approval by the council at its meeting Wednesday night, with a unanimous vote. The first of these ordinances, if passed, would effectively revise the budgetary appropriations made by the city for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30.
According to a draft of the ordinance provided to The Times, total appropriations for the year would be reduced from $17,486,368 to $15,562,801. And while some of the proposed reductions, particularly police and fire pension fund reductions, have sparked concern from Fraternal Order of Police members and others, Benson said last week that the ordinances may be revised from their current form before the final vote is taken.
A second ordinance would eliminate several governmental funds, including the “UDAG Revolving” fund, the Capital School Reserve fund, the public rescue fund and the capital lease fund.
The largest of these, according to the text of the ordinance, was the Capital School Reserve fund, valued at $500,067. Under the new ordinance, any previous ordinances establishing these funds would be repealed, and the funds would “revert to the City’s General Fund,” according to the draft ordinance approved by the council.
Another ordinance, which has already been the topic of some debate, would authorize Finance Director John Kuzmiski to cease making contributions to the John Hancock Pension Trust Fund in the current fiscal year and “transfer $500,000 in pension trust fund assets to the City’s general fund.”
Moreau had previously told The Times that, contrary to the concerns expressed by police officers at the council’s March 9 meeting, this ordinance would basically rescind the city’s commitment to contribute to the pension fund $500,000 in proceeds from the sale of its water lines. It would not take away the $600,000 the mayor said had already been contributed to the Hancock fund by the city from the water line sale.
Another ordinance would rescind all previous ordinances authorizing the expenditure of city funds for police details at local businesses. Last week, Benson told The Times that this ordinance was being considered because the finance department had reported that reimbursement from companies engaging police detail services was often not being received in a timely fashion. For this reason, Benson said, the council had decided to consider an ordinance requiring the companies to pay the officers directly, rather than reimbursing the city after it had already sent out payment to the officers for the detail work done.
Also being considered by the council is an ordinance that would temporarily allow “a four (4) day work week, or layoff if necessary, for any and all City employees.” The ordinance text noted that this change, if approved, would remain in effect “for no less than thirteen (13) weeks.”
The final ordinance would allow payments of accrued vacation and sick time to “certain eligible employees upon retirement” to be delayed. Ward Three Councilman Patrick Szlashta expressed concern Monday night about whether this ordinance could be the subject of legal challenges. City Solicitor John Gannon, however, said he did not feel this would be an insurmountable legal challenge, should it arise, noting that the law pertaining to such practices was somewhat vague.
“The statute’s a little ambiguous,” Gannon said. “It says you have to give it to them. It doesn’t say when.”
The council is expected to hold another meeting soon, at which final passage of the ordinances is expected to take place. Though the council has heard little public comment on the ordinances so far, Council President William Benson promised at Wednesday’s meeting that ample opportunity would be allowed for public input before the council votes on final passage of the ordinances. A date for the meeting had not been announced as of press time.