Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

NORTH PROVIDENCE -- The Town Council has cut Mayor Charles A. Lombardi's budget by $448,096 and knocked 15 cents off the mayor's plan to increase property taxes $1 for every $1000 of assessed real estate, officials said Thursday.

In the aftermath of a lengthy public hearing on Monday, the council took action Wednesday night, adjusting taxes and spending proposed for the year that begins July 1.

The council's widespread slashing includes a cut of $221,350 in Fire Department spending and $263,817 in police spending.

The council cut many line items in the mayor's $82.2 million budget proposal and nearly reversed every spending cut that Lombardi had proposed at the town's swimming complex, senior center and library.

The council restored $231,000 to keep the pool in operation, officials said. It restored $85,000 in funding to the senior center, where spending will only be slightly less than what was originally budgeted the current fiscal year.

The council increased the proposed town's contribution to the Union Free Library by $95,000, bringing the allocation to a total of $621,552 -- enough to make the facility eligible for state library aid.

Lombardi, a vocal opponent of contractual provisions that have required heavy overtime spending on firefighters, said that he disagrees with the council's decision to cut overtime for fire personnel by $250,000.

He said he's not sure if the council's overtime calculations are realistic.

"That's a gamble," he said, noting that just during the past two weeks, the department's overtime amounted to $59,000. "It's a little dangerous."

 Tags  budget

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