Warwick, RI – Mayor Scott Avedisian’s $294,048,252 FY16 budget invests in new city vehicles, and building code enforcement, and allocates $1 million for road repair, a plan the Warwick City Council will start reviewing Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall.
The plan increases the city’s budget by $4,839,517 over the current fiscal year.
Warwick Public Schools receive $159,530,000 in the plan, which would also begin the process of funding Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB), setting aside $200,000 to begin the task. Avedisian proposes studying, with the City Council, a plan to fund an OPEB Trust.
The proposed tax rate would increase by 69 cents, setting the residential tax rate at $20.75; commercial/industrial $31.13; and tangible personal property, $41.50.
The motor vehicle exemption, which was increased three years ago to $2,000 ($1,500 more than the $500 required by state law) remains unchanged, as does the motor vehicle tax rate, which is $34.60 per $1,000 of assessed value.
The budget also proposes funding for several new positions, including a deputy city clerk, financial accountant, five uniformed police personnel, a property management specialist for the Building Department’s minimum housing division, and a building maintenance employee.
Budget hearings are scheduled to continue through June 1. You can inspect the docket for each days’ hearing in the embedded document below, and the Mayor’s proposed FY2016 budget itself at this link.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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