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REGULAR SESSION
APRIL 15, 2019
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PRESENT: Abel G. Collins, President
Bryant DaCruz, Vice President
Deborah J. Kelso
Rory H. McEntee
Joe Viele
1. A. REGULAR SESSION 
The following members of the School Committee are present: Stephanie Canter, Chairwoman, Sarah Markey, Vice Chairwoman, Michelle Brousseau, Alycia Collins, Emily Cummiskey, and Katherine Macinanti.
Also present: Robert C. Zarnetske, Town Manager, Patricia Sunderland, Finance Director, Dr. Kristen Stringfellow, Superintendent, Maryanne Crawford, Business Manager, School Department, Colleen Camp, Executive Assistant, Laurel Clark, Director of Public Libraries, Jon Schock, Director of Public Services, Chelsea Siefert, Director of Planning and Craig Stanley, Director, Emergency Medical Services.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
The Pledge of Allegiance is given.
3. ROLL CALL
Roll Call is not taken but all members are present.
4. PUBLIC HEARING
A. Notice having been duly given, a Public Hearing, with School Committee participation is held relative to the Town Council’s Preliminary Budget for FY 2019-2020 as adopted on March 18, 2019. This Public Hearing will address all funds contained within the Town Council’s Preliminary Budget.
The Town Manager makes a brief presentation in regard to the budget process thus far. The objectives for this evening’s meeting are to review the preliminary budget, review amendments and changes made by the Town Council, summarize outstanding issues, and solicit public comment about the FY 2019-2020 budget.
This is the first of two public hearings, the next public hearing will be held tomorrow evening for those unable to attend this evening. Formal adoption of the budget is scheduled for April 29, 2019. Of every tax dollar appropriated, $0.73 goes to the School Fund, $0.24 goes to the General Fund, $0.02 goes to the Debt Service Fund and $0.01 goes to the Senior Services and Recreation Funds.
The Town Charter says that the Town Council shall provide by ordinance the procedures for administering the budget. The Town Council may transfer part or all of the unencumbered appropriation balance from one major program function to the appropriation for other major program functions. The Town Manager may transfer part or all of any unencumbered appropriation balances among departments. The property tax transfer is for the administration of the budget. It is designed to be a budget management tool.
The 4% cap is not a legal limit on the property tax transfer made to the School Department but a legal limit on how much the town can increase total property taxes for all purposes. For FY 2019-2020, South Kingstown’s 4% cap is equal to $2.9 million. This does not mean that an individual’s household property taxes cannot increase more than 4%. In a revaluation year like this one, some property owners can see more than a 4% increase depending on how they relate to the average. South Kingstown’s real property tax rate is lower than the state average and the automobile tax rate is also lower than the state average.
One of the biggest challenges for South Kingstown is the reduction in state aid to education. State aid to education projection for FY 2019-2020 is $800,342 less than the current year. The municipal state aid projected for FY 2019-2020 is anticipated in the amount of $4,091,535 an increase of $160,319 and School Construction Aid is projected at $496,903, a decrease of $26,740 over the current amount of $523,643.
Some of the other challenges that the community faces are aging road and communication infrastructure, aging facilities, school and other, declining student population, climate change, school facilities project that calls for more debt than we have had in the past, South County Hospital constraints, traffic safety issues, housing affordability, commercial development imbalance, aging population, slow suburbanization, struggling public housing program, and losing students to other school districts and private education providers. Total new debt FY 2021-2022 is projected to be $81,500,000 more than the community has ever taken on in the past. It has a significant impact on our ability to put money toward operations in the future. The industry standard of what a reasonable number of money going towards debt is 10% of your annual budget on debt service. The debt service is projected at 8.08% in FY 2024-2025.
The General Fund contractual obligations are 2.75% increase for non-union and NEA, 2.5% for Council 94, EMS and Police and retirement funding in the amount of $342,716. Health Insurance is anticipated to increase 6% and Dental Insurance is expected to go down $922.
Reclassifications and New Positions budgeted for in this budget include a salary and benefit adjustment in the amount of $15,470 for the Police Chief, $8,935 for the Director of Administrative Services, $4,163 for the Director of Planning, $4,915 for the Director of Leisure Services, $4,360 for the Executive Assistant, $6,444 for the Communications Superintendent, $73,396 for an Arborist and $3,100 for Administrative Support Associate for a total of $120,783. Departmental fees, fines and charges are projected to increase by $60,505. License Fees and rents are projected to decrease by $19,805.
The forces driving the property tax increase are a 1.75% increase in the property tax transfer to the school or $942,422 more than in the current fiscal year, an increase in the tax transfer to the Senior Services Program and the Community Recreation program, an increase of $335,000 to fund future debt service obligations related to the anticipation of approval for a $76 million school bond referendum in November 2019.
The School Funding changes from the initial proposed budget include an operating property tax transfer increase from 1% in the amount of $539,527 to 1.75% in the amount of $944,172. The increase in the property tax transfer resulted in a decrease to the debt service tax transfer of $165,000. The proposed debt service in the amount of $1,600,000 to include $500,000 for future school bonds was subsequently decreased by $165,000 to not exceed the maximum levy.
The tax supported funds include a 6.1% increase in the General Fund, 0.31% increase in the School Fund, 6.7% increase in Senior Services Fund, a 9% increase in Community Recreation Center Fund, and an 8.7% decrease in the Debt Service Obligations expenditures.
The unmet needs and unresolved questions include the $500,000 set aside, the remaining school requirement, the four paramedics, the traffic enforcement officer and the Tri – County appropriation.
The Town Council’s FY 2019-2020 Preliminary Budget in the amount of $97,727,399 is $1,107,130 more than the FY 2018-2019 adopted budget in the amount of $96,620,269.
The School Committee does not have a presentation this evening.
Discussion ensues between the Town Council, the School Committee and the Town and School Administrators.
The following members of the public are present, comment and discussion ensues:
Ryan Muir
Brian Nelson
Jess Macinanti
Alexa Cardente
David Stone
Maria Utterback
Jordan Greer
Ellie Beck
Leisha Robinson
Jason Greer
Elliot Greer
Wendy Bucci
Olivia Skiffington
Henry O’Brien
Anna Blaney
Heather Tobin
Magnolia Longworth
Lauren Cardente
Chris Hubbard
Michael Joyce
Bruce Waidler
Joslin Leasca
Sarah Laidler
Christian Blaney
Hope Milligan
Stella DeSimone
Ryan Muir’s Wife
Ashley Michaud
Carter Santos
Christian Fernandez
Carol Jurczak
Larry Englander
Carol Englander
Sarah Schofield
Dorald Beasley
Gary Chapman
David Laudati
Roberta Mulholland
Jonathan Daly-LaBelle
Greg Sweet
Kate Bucci
Craig Stanley
UNANIMOUSLY VOTED: to close the Public Hearing
UNANIMOUSLY VOTED: to adjourn at 11:04 PM.
ADJOURNED,
Dale S. Holberton, CMC
Town Clerk