TOWN OF WEST WARWICK
Pursuant to Article V, Section 503, of the Town of West Warwick Home
Rule Charter, the public is hereby notified of the following meeting:
ANNUAL FINANCIAL TOWN MEETING
FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2024 (JULY 1, 2023-JUNE 30, 2024) BUDGET
TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2023
WEST WARWICK HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
ONE WEBSTER KNIGHT DRIVE
WEST WARWICK, RI 02893
MEETING CONVENES AT 7:00 PM
MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL:
COUNCILMAN MARK BOURGET - PRESENT
COUNCILMAN JASON LICCIARDI - PRESENT
COUNCILMAN JASON MESSIER - PRESENT
COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT MARIBETH WILLIAMSON - PRESENT
COUNCIL PRESIDENT DAVID GOSSELIN, JR - PRESENT
MOTION MADE BY M. WILLIAMSON, SECONDED BY J. MESSIER, TO WAIVE THE READING OF THE WARRANT. ALL AYES
Manager Mark Knott gave the following statement:
Good evening elected and appointed officials, fellow employees, and fellow citizens – Welcome to the Town Financial Meeting to review the proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget.
Although this is my third municipal budget, I remain very impressed with the dedication and active participation of our department heads. They have continued to be mindful of our fiscal constraints and provided thoughtful departmental budget requests that provide for the continuation of services. Our Finance Director, Kristen Benoit, has kept us on a path of conservative budgeting, comprehensive reporting, and always seeking alternatives to do more for less. Our colleagues in the School Department are also committed to providing exceptional programs for our students, while working through many challenges. They have been great to work with.
The national challenges that we see on the news and on social media are many of the same challenges that our town faces on a daily basis. We struggle to attract, recruit, and maintain high quality personnel in several departments. We are experiencing higher costs for supplies and equipment. And we see delays in shipping and acquiring purchases in a timely manner. Through all of these challenges, our staff remains committed and provides high quality service with expeditious responses in most cases.
We were very fortunate to have received federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, that was designed to help communities recover from the disastrous financial and societal effects of the pandemic. We have NOT factored this funding, totaling approximately $8.6 million dollars, explicitly into this proposed Town operating budget. I want to reiterate that we do NOT plan to use ARPA funds to offset our operating budgets thereby creating future structural deficits. The original federal guidance on the ARPA sought to promote water, sewer and broadband infrastructure improvements, recovery of lost revenue due to Covid, numerous grant opportunities, and Essential Worker pay stipends. Updated guidance in the Final Rule from the Department of Treasury has allowed communities to elect to use up to $10 million dollars in the Revenue Loss category, thereby loosening the restrictions on the appropriate use of the funds.
This fiscal year we have encumbered ARPA funds for capital projects, such as upgrading to LED lighting at Riverpoint Park, rehabilitation of several fields and parks to include irrigation, several IT and cybersecurity enhancements, initiation of a pavement management study, purchase of emergency radio equipment, replacement of the Library’s fire alarm system, utility vehicles for the Department of Public Works, wastewater infrastructure improvements, and support for the Senior Center amongst other much needed upgrades. So far, FY2023 has seen the Town progress in many areas that may have been neglected in the past for financial reasons.
Due to careful consideration and the hard work of the Town Council and our professional staff, and input from interested members of the public, the Fiscal Year 2024 budget is calling for a minimal levy increase while maintaining the public services expected by our taxpayers. The proposed balanced budget totals $112,465,675. Of that $66,819,435 or approximately 59% is dedicated for the School Department.
The proposed budget increase totals $3,604,761, which is comprised of $500,627 in Municipal Expenses, $200,000 in the local appropriation to the School Department, and an expected additional $3,104,134 in School State Aid Pass Through.
The levy increase is 1.46% or $979,490.
The approximate tax rate increase is 1.6%. (this equates to a $0.29 increase per $1000… $18.32/$1K… median home of ~$265K would experience a $80/year increase)
All negotiated contractual obligations are included.
We expect significant savings due to our move to The Trust for employee and retiree healthcare management, favorable insurance premiums especially for Workers Compensation, and our transition into the State’s managed retirement system.
And finally, we do not have planned use of our Fund Balance in the coming fiscal year.
Thank you for your attention and I respectfully request your vote to approve the proposed FY2024 Budget on Thursday at the Civic Center Field House between the hours of 7am and 8pm.
· Superintendent of Schools Karen Tarasevich
Superintendent Karen Tarasevich gave the following statement:
Good evening,
President Gosselin, members of the town council, Chairman Colon, members of the school committee, and citizens of West Warwick. Thank you for the opportunity this evening to share a summary of the school department’s FY 24 budget.
On behalf of the WW School Committee, I am pleased to report that at their February meeting, they voted to approve a balanced budget for FY24 which we present tonight. As always, in preparing the FY24 budget, there are several goals:
1. Present a balanced budget
2. Continue support for students and staff post COVID.
3. Support education/programming in the school department
4. Compliance with educational mandates, as well as the B.E.P.
5. Continued compliance with pension and OPEB contributions requirements
6. Consideration of future budgets
Present a Balanced Budget
· $68,630,194 - Reflects an anticipated increase in appropriation of $200,000 from the town.
· FY24 Budget is balanced with an increase of 5.4% from FY23 of $3,543,072
o Funded through anticipated state aid, local appropriation and medicaid reimbursements will support this increase
· Budget lines affecting this increase:
o Salary increases - $2,000,000 - 5.8% - This partly due to nurses and school psychologist salaries being returned to the local budget after being funded by ESSER grants, as well as step increases.
o Contracted (local) Transportation - $304,000 - 13 % increase
o State transportation 126% $557,000 increase (foster care children and homeless)
o Tuitions for Special Education placements - Inc. $259,000 - 9%
o Increase in Medical premiums - $548,000 - 6%
Support education/programming in the school department
This budget:
· Meets the requirements under all regulations (federal, state, special education, and B.E.P.)
· Meets state graduation requirements
· Provides additional vocational/alternative pathways for students
Compliance Pension Contributions
o Certified pension 1.6% increase - $79,000
o Classified pension 15% increase - $277,000 due to the mover to MERS.
Consideration of future budgets
· FY24 budget developed keeping in mind expenses in upcoming years
Since our return to school and full in-person learning, we have been continuing our efforts to support our students academically, as well as emotionally as we are seeing the impacts of our experience with COVID-19. The pandemic has impacted all of our lives personally and professionally, and the school department is no exception. We could not have anticipated the pandemic, nor the issues related to reopening schools in a healthy and safe manner, providing academic programming and mental health services to our students.
The federal government has provided COVID relief funds ( ESSER funds) which have helped support the additional COVID related expenses of the district over the past two years including but not limited to: facilities rework of ventilation systems, air filtration, the addition of staff to support learning loss and social emotional needs of our students.
ESSER priority areas continue to be: equity, expanded learning, instruction, student well being, student engagement, talent, school improvement.
As always, the school department is committed to the on-going positive partnership we have had with the town over the past several years for the good of our students, families and the Town of West Warwick.
Thank you.
There was no public comment.
MOTION MADE BY D. GOSSELIN, SECONDED BY J. MESSIER TO ADJOURN AT 7:21 P.M. ALL AYES
Sarah S. Rapose, CMC
Town Council Clerk