Providence City Council Gives Final Approval to FY17 Budget
Thursday, June 16, 2016
"Under the City Council’s spending plan, fewer administrative jobs will be filled next year, and more funds will be allocated for neighborhood infrastructure investments and securing the city’s financial footing. The budget designates $1 million for neighborhood infrastructure improvements and increased the administration’s proposed contribution to the” rainy day” fund by $1.2 million, said the City Council in a press statement.
As GoLocal reported on first passage of the budget on Monday:
In the midst of the city facing financial uncertainty, the line item for salaries in Mayor Jorge Elorza's office is up nearly $300,000 over last year in Providence's Fiscal Year 2017 budget.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTOn Monday, the Providence City Council voted 10-5 to approve the recently approved tax levy for the upcoming year. The second vote was 10-4 (with Councilman Nick Narducci leaving), and then the rest of the ordinances considered were approved 11-3. Council members Seth Yurdin, David Salvatore, Sam Zurier, Wilbur Jennings, and Narducci voted against the proposed tax levy on Monday.
"No amendments were offered, everyone who had something to say said it. The dissenters dissented, the supporters supported," said City Council President Luis Aponte.
One line item of note in the budget was that salaries for the Mayor's office grew from $1,775,748 in FY16 to $2,0171,694 for FY17 -- over 15%.
The budget also reserves $1 million in a contingency fund to cover costs that will likely arise following litigation over shift changes and overtime pay for firefighters; similar measures were taken by the North Kingstown Town Council in preparation for the eventual resolution. The Council will continue to fund new hires in the police and fire departments: academies for 60 new police officers and 80 new firefighters are included in this year’s spending plan.
These additional contributions and investments were added to the spending plan once the City Council’s financial team identified $1.5 million in previously unreported revenue sources; over $1.4 million in PILOT revenue and the sale of the Flynn School were not included in the administration’s budget proposal.
Related Slideshow: 10 Things to Know about Elorza’s Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Proposal
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza introduced his Fiscal Year 2017 budget proposal for the city -- here are 10 things you should know.
Related Articles
- Mayor’s Office Salaries Up $300K as Providence Budget Gets First Passage
- PODCAST: EXCLUSIVE: Providence Budget Still Faces Crushing Deficit
- BREAKING: City Council Grants Final Approval to Providence Budget
- NEW: Final Providence Budget Vote Tonight
- EXCLUSIVE: Providence Budget Still Faces Crushing Deficit
- Memo: Providence Budget Deficit is 50% Larger than Administration Claims
- Providence Budget at Risk Due to Fire, Questions Over Tax Base
- Ten Things to Know About Elorza’s Providence Budget Address
- Providence Budget Could be Off Tens of Millions
- Providence Budget Woes: Public Safety Chaos
- BREAKING: Providence Budget Approved by City Council Committee
- Providence Budget Still Undecided
- NEW: Business Leader Grills Cicilline on Providence Budget
- Providence Budget Bombshell: $40M in New Taxes
- Cicilline Raising Money off Providence Budget Crisis
- Providence Budget: Will the General Assembly Come Through?
- Updated Providence Budget Mess: Most Blame Cicilline
- NEW: Cicilline Speaks Out on Providence Budget Crisis
- RI Favorites – Providence Budget Crisis
- New Providence Budget: A Cheat Sheet
- Providence Budget: What’s on the Chopping Block?
- EXCLUSIVE: Providence Budget Official Fired Today
