NEW: Pawtucket Mayor Calls for Shared Services with Central Falls and East Providence
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien has asked Governor Chafee to consider allowing Pawtucket, East Providence and Central Falls to share municipal services, GoLocalProv has learned.
In a letter sent to Chafee on April 2, Grebien suggested forming a panel to study the consolidation of city services between the three municipalities. He recommended that Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council executive director John Simmons be placed on the panel.
"As Central Falls, East Providence and other communities continue to struggle financially, and as we work to avoid that path for Pawtucket, we have an uncommon opportunity to explore ways we can work with other municipalities on innovative solutions such as shared services and the mutual economic benefits that approach may bring," Grebien wrote in the letter.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAll three municipalities have made headlines over the last year for their deteriorating fiscal situations, most notably with Central Falls filing for bankruptcy last year. This year, Pawtucket and East Providence each needed cash advances from the state in order to make payroll.
"I firmly believe that the time to explore the economic promise of these possibilities is now. I would also appreciate the opportunity to work with other appropriate and neighboring municipalities beyond Central Falls, particularly the city of East Providence, to determine what mutual economic benefits shares services may bring on that wider basis."
