Good evening.

And welcome to this April twenty ninth special city council meeting.

At this time, I'd like to call this meeting to order.

And I asked the clerk to please call a role.

Remember this evening that we'll have public comment on Docketed Matters only.

And you'll state your name and address for the record.

So by all means, if someone would like to make public comment who's here in the chambers, step up to the podium.

State your name and address for the record.

My name is Susan Sicosha Olson, and my address is 36 Rondo Street.

I'm a lifelong resident of the city of Cranston, and I'm here to express my dismay regarding the proposed cuts to the Cranston Senior Center.

I've had many years of experience with the center on both a personal and professional basis.

I'm also on the board of the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island, a nonprofit organization that advocates for older adults and those with disabilities.

The Cranston Senior Center has a long and storied history.

In June of 1989, First Lady Barbara Bush visited the center as it was recognized as one of the best in the country and a model for many others.

The population served by the center are some of our most vulnerable residents of the city of Cranston.

Many depend on the center for their physical and mental health, their financial assistance, their social well-being and nutritional needs.

For some, their lunch at the meal site may be their only meal of the day.

The center also provides a place for seniors to take part in educational and fitness classes.

All of these activities can help members to be connected to the community while decreasing their social isolation.

Loneliness and depression are severe health public risks, increasing a person's chances of premature death, heart disease, stroke, and dementia.

My personal connection to the center is through their adult day program.

My mother, who had Alzheimer's disease, attended the program daily.

She was well cared for so that my father and other family members were able to go to work knowing that she was safe.

The proposed cuts and position eliminations will effectively decimate the center's ability to provide quality services.

The elimination of the assistant director will have a profound effect.

David Kiora is well known not only in Cranston, but also throughout the state.

His reputation, dedication, and ability to coordinate and manage the services of the center are exceptional.

I ask that you please reconsider any proposed cuts to provide to preserve the excellent quality, excellent quality of services provided to the residents of Cranston.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

State your name and address for the record.

We don't.

Sorry.

You couldn't hear me because I turned my microphone up.

Those are just your comments so we can read along.

Yes.

Okay.

And I probably won't get every point in here so that they're four minutes.

Good evening.

My name is Tom Wiljick, Levin Hall Place, Cranston.

And uh I'm a member of an organization called Cranston Forward, which uh has well over 500 uh members.

And we've been uh meeting and brainstorming about the proposed budget, and we've put together the piece that I have just handed out to you.

Um I'd like to take the opportunity to read to you and to the gallery here some of the key points.

Cranston Forward is a community-based organization that advocates policies to make Cranston more accessible, inclusive, accountable, open, and transparent city.

Cranston Forward strongly condemns the rushed and opaque process surrounding the City of Cranston's fiscal year 26-27 budget proposal.

The current approach demonstrates a fundamental disregard for constituent input and responsible governance.

It magnifies the incompetence of an administration that has allowed an unprecedented 10 million budget deficit to occur under their watch.

With just two days' notice for the city council meeting, the administration is intentionally keeping constituents out of the process and forcing through an agenda with little oversight.

The meeting agenda appears to have been sloppily copied from last year's agenda, revealing the rushed, careless way that this administration seeks to pass a highly problematic budget.

This rather uh futive action contrast with the transparency of past city administrations that provided Cranstonians with a full calendar of hearings and events.

The proposed 7.44% property tax increase is nearly double the state legal cap of 4% and requires legislative approval.

It seeks to make devastating service cuts, 100% elimination of head start funding, 37% cut to senior services administration, which was just spoken to.

It reveals a disturbing pattern of fiscal mismanagement.

Over the past five years, budgeted 4.5 million for overtime for the fire department, but spent six million plus annual annually.

Snow removal overtime, budgeted 125, but spent 257.

Budgets, zero per year for legal settlements, yet paid 1.7 million dollars.

Delayed budget rollout by two weeks.

Cranston Ford suggests reasonable alternatives that would avoid excessive tax burden while maintaining essential services.

4% permanent uh levy increase, plus 3.4% one time assessment, sunsets after fiscal year 27.

Transfer cash balance of 665,000 and ice rank account to the rainy day fund.

Raise special property tax on solar power plants, revising cities veteran tax exemption for veteran homeowners, revised cities' elderly tax exemption to benefit low and moderate income.

Reduce spending by eliminating department of economic development, which is kind of like one person, 133,000, and most of that is done by the mayor's office, cutting deputy chief of staff position, having uh the mayor take a major cut in his 105 salary, deferring the track and field bond of 150,000, cutting ceremonial spending by 4,000, having no raises and upcoming contracts, negotiations or for administrators, 700,000, delaying non-essential capital projects this year.

Cranston Ford calls on the city council to reject the budget, current budget proposal, extend the timeline for meaning.

I'm gonna have to ask you to finish up.

I will, and adopt fiscally responsible solutions that protect essential services while avoiding assessment excessive tax increases on residents.

It strongly believes that the burden of any reductions and cuts must be the expense of the mayor and his administration before any reduction amendments are.

Thank you.

And our budget from two years ago is probably no longer sufficient.

However, I have grave concerns about the fact that this tax increase, almost twice what is permitted by the CAP, still does not adequately fund important services in our city.

We just heard about some important ones, including the senior center, but I'm gonna focus on the schools.

The schools, which have been thrown under the bus time and time again by our mayor, who have been told for years to do more with less, are yet again underfunded.

The additional funds provided in this budget, do not even cover the rate of inflation, from what I saw, let alone allow the school district to address some major gaps that have had to get deprioritized due to lack of funds.

We have schools that are quite literally crumbling.

There's a retaining wall at Due Temple that has been falling apart since COVID times and has yet to be touched whatsoever.

And we were told it may be structural, it may be cosmetic, but I can tell you that as those cracks grow, it's definitely structural at some point.

No one puts up a retaining wall just to make it pretty.

But my understanding is they haven't received raises in years.

We have parent organizations, two of which I belong to, who are doing their best to fill the gaps, but they're struggling as fewer and fewer parents volunteer their time and fewer families have money to contribute to the fundraising they do.

This budget, despite a significant tax hike at the expense of the taxpayer, does nothing to resolve these issues.

Instead, we're pushing through a budget in an accelerated timeline that prevents careful oversight at a time when our faith in the financial decision making in the of this city is at an all-time low.

If we are asking the schools to do with to do more with less, why are we not asking that of other departments as well?

And what assurances are we, the taxpayers, given that the gross and unchecked spending over the past two years has put the city in a financial crisis.

How where are the assurances that this won't continue despite this tax increase?

I understand that we may need to move forward with an undesirable budget this year if we have no other option.

But I asked the city council to do two things.

First, please consider finding ways to increase the school budget.

Second, initiate an in-depth independent audit of every city expenditure over the past two years.

We need to make sure every dollar is spent appropriately and identify places where we may be able to cut or improve efficiency.

If we must make concessions this year, let's start the process of accountability and planning right away.

So we aren't in this position again next year.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I just wanted to take a few minutes just to talk about how these cuts that are being zeroed out in the budget are affecting our organization, and also to make sure that everybody understands what our role in any of this is.

We are in a business, nonprofit business in the city of Cranston for 60 years.

We've worked with numerous administrations.

We've provided numerous services to the city.

And we've done everything in our power to be partners with the city.

We've never asked for any more than we ever needed.

We're not asking any more today than we need.

We're just asking for the money that we were promised, okay, in the budget from last year.

We are still waiting for some of those dollars, and we're finding ways to get through all of this.

And when you see the cuts that are at the head start, that's the competence community action, the CCAP.

And I'm here today just to make sure that everybody understands where our stance is.

Um, you know, we found out about this through the media.

We we weren't aware that we were even being zeroed out in this budget at all.

Didn't have the opportunity to really talk it through.

We're working with the city on some other issues that are tricky issues.

There's no question about it in terms of properties that we own and properties that we share, and we're willing to work with the city, and we always have.

I've been in this position for about a year, but I've worked for competence community action for 34 years.

So it's not new to me.

I followed Joanne McGonagall who worked in this, and she taught me that we work with the city, we're partners with the city.

Okay.

And all I want to do is make sure that everybody is aware of this money is needed.

Okay.

I saw some things on social media that talks about that, oh, these are just extra dollars because CCAP gets federal money.

Yeah, we get federal money.

We get federal money, we get state money, we get local money.

Okay, we get donations, we get money everywhere, foundation money, but it's all money that's used, okay, for the residents of the city of Cranston.

We employ 400 people.

Okay.

And we provide tens of thousands of services.

We run health care, dental care, behavioral health.

I think the one thing that I just want to get through today, that I just want to be treated fairly at this point in time.

I'm not quite sure we are.

Um, I again, we're willing to work with anybody.

I'm not trying to break any budget, not trying to find ways to harm the city in any way.

I think what we've done over the years for 60 years is help the city more than anything.

Probably had millions and millions of dollars of services to this city.

I guess my biggest issue is why are we being treated this way?

That's really the point that I want to make today.

Um, I want to make sure that we can continue.

When you talk about cutting head start, for example, all right, that money is providing okay, funding for two classrooms.

If we don't get that funding, then we have to decide whether or not we close those classrooms.

And then I also want to make sure that people are aware these are working families.

These are families that have kids in our child care, okay, so that they can work.

Okay, they need help.

They're not making salaries, okay, that are afford them to hire nannies and things like that.

There are people in this city that need our help, and we're here for them.

And it just frustrates me that I have to find these things out the way that I do, and I have to even come here today to have this discussion with us to get everything on record to make sure that everybody understands where CCAP's coming from.

And I have to even come here today to have this discussion with us to get everything on record to make sure that everybody understands where CCAP's coming from.

And what C Cap is is we are a service provider.

We are not making tons of money.

Okay, our salaries are reasonable.

You can come talk to me.

I'll give you a salaries to every single person in this room.

Okay, I have no problem doing that.

Okay, I could show you our administrative costs.

Okay.

We have certain things that we have to abide by, the contracts or federal contracts or state contracts.

We have to put aside money to do this or that, but we are not playing games with those dollars.

We are providing services to the city of Cranston.

I just want to make sure everybody's aware of that today.

Thank you.

Thank you, Director.

Is there anyone else in chambers who'd like to make public comment on Docketed Matters?

Kimberly Bagosian 45 Mount View Drive.

Um, I have an issue with bumping.

Um, it's where retirees are filling open positions without any hands on experience.

Um contracts, go right to the source, uh, line by line to look for the necessary cuts.

More transparency is needed for my neighbors, specifically the Budlong complex and overtime hours.

Uh doing more with less is what the school committee does.

Are we going to let the fire keep burning in our city?

The mayor shouldn't have that final say.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You state your name and address for the record.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Alice Patrown, 24 Bretton Woods Drive.

Um, I guess I want to ask the question of everybody here, and I think everyone else is thinking it.

How did we get here?

How did we get to this point where we are in this kind of a mess?

Where is the sense of priorities in this city?

And I guess my feeling is that priorities are in all the wrong places.

First of all, we've created positions within the mayor's office with salaries with these increases that would be over a hundred thousand dollars.

Now, I surely think that rather than taking money away from CCAP, senior services, and head stock, we can eliminate those positions to start with.

I think the council has a responsibility to see that that happens because you are the last word in what is going to happen to our pocketbooks.

I live in a budget.

I'm sure everybody in here has a budget.

X amount of dollars comes into your house, you budget it accordingly.

If there's money left over, that's wonderful.

Usually there isn't.

And then you do without.

And that hasn't happened here.

So I think what I want to ask each and every one of you here is to think about how you would feel if you were a working parent, and you lost your um CCAP services, and then you couldn't work as many hours.

That's going to affect your bottom line and your ability to pay your bills.

If you count on senior services so that uh caretaker can take a break.

I had, I was a sole caretaker for my mother when she was dying of cancer.

And I have to tell you, it's not easy.

And when you can get a little bit of a break, it's wonderful.

So Cranston was once the city, kind of like the shining city on the hill.

Um, where we were proud of our schools.

We were um proud of our neighborhoods.

We have uh an administration that has centered all of its focus on one neighborhood in this city and spent an inordinate amount of money.

And and you drive around the east side of the city and the center of the city, and the roads need to be done and and misplaced priorities.

And think about if it was your budget in your home.

What would you eliminate?

That's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Dr.

Kathy Toragrosa, and I am from 1331 Hope Road out in the western side of the city.

Many of you know me as a teacher, but I'm talking as a resident first.

I'll be very brief, but I need to speak to the frustrations of both myself, my colleagues, my friends, my neighbors about how we feel about this city budget.

First, I haven't seen anywhere that the state has approved that 7.4% increase for our buttons our taxes.

And building a budget on something that has not even been approved is a ridiculous waste of time.

And I'm wondering how much money we spent on that, because that was unnecessary.

Second, for many taxpayers, a 7.4 increase is far more than 500.

This increase will impact household buzzards, residential, and business property tax property budgets, property values, sorry, and the amount that families can spend in our local businesses.

That hurts all of us.

I attended the mayor's budget address, not only as a resident, but I'm also a teacher in the district.

He asked city department leaders to offer termination incentives.

I'm sorry, but that's insulting.

For people who have dedicated long careers to this city to be the first target of that's gonna be the budget savings is insulting.

I'm there 37 years in.

Sorry.

Also, the mayor lied flat out to all of us at that hearing.

He said there were no layoffs.

Well, I can tell you in the school department, there have been more layoffs than I have seen in my 37 years in this district.

There's a lot of people that are leaving.

Some of my very valued colleagues.

It seems that the mayor for repeatedly forgets his roots and that he came from the school department, and that the school department is his biggest department.

Lastly, consider the impact of reducing school staff, increasing class sizes.

A one impact.

The impact of increasing class sizes is impacting the learning and teaching for our students.

But the taxpayers and our students didn't create it, and they shouldn't be bearing the brunt of this.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the chambers this evening who would like to make public comment on document matters?

Hi, good evening.

Uh Joe Cooney, 285 Situate Avenue.

I just wanted to say, first of all, the council has a very hard job in front of them.

And I want to make sure to acknowledge that.

I know it's not easy.

But I think there needs to be blame with the administration, but I also think, according to what I've read, that there has not been an audit meeting within the city council within years.

If you go to the city website and you look at the minutes, there is not a minute posted from an audit committee that I believe is chaired within the city council since 2019.

Maybe there has, but it's not posted.

So to me, there needs to be accountability.

We need to make sure and hold this administration accountable.

There needs to be checks and balances.

You can understand, but you need to verify the facts.

That's what this council needs to do.

We need to make sure and hold the mayor and this administration accountable.

I want to acknowledge everything that everyone before me has mentioned.

I certainly understand that it is extremely difficult from a budget perspective.

I will say I've lived here my entire life.

My wife and I are raising our child here.

But at this point, if this continues, I fully have to look at whether or not this is the place that I'm going to raise my child.

You're going to drive out the tax base.

So I'm 100% behind a no and hold this administration accountable.

And so we need to look and see how we can become a better city at this point, holding each other accountable.

And at the end of the day, where is the check and balance?

Because some of you have been around, some of you are newer.

I would ask that we all come together collectively as a group for the city of Cranston and bring us back to where we were once before.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Catherine Crowley, 290 Machinic Valley Parkway, Cranston.

I'm Ward Six representative to the school committee.

I am very dismayed by this budget, as many people who got up and spoke.

I don't understand, and I've been a resident here for 26 years now.

I love the city.

My grandchildren went to school in the public school system here and have been very successful.

I don't understand why there weren't more checks and balances over the last couple of years in a city this size.

I've been a superintendent, I've been in education 44 years.

We are not going to survive on this budget.

We are not going to survive.

You talk about schools being in crisis.

If anybody read my article that was in the Cranston Herald, and also on my website, we have seven roofs that need replacement.

I was in a building committee meeting tonight at five o'clock.

Why are we having that meeting?

We have no money in order to move forward to do anything in our schools.

We have seven schools that need replacement of the HVAC system.

Seven.

The ruts are still there.

What I just don't understand it.

And as I was a superintendent for eight years in East Providence, I built the first high school in 24 years there with a city that supported and a council that's supported and a mayor that supported education.

I just don't understand what happened with the checks and balances.

And I'm I know that our superintendent is sick over this.

I've toured our buildings.

I know construction and I know what I'm talking about.

So I ask you not to accept this budget tonight.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Gail Harvey.

I live at 455 Michannick at Valley Parkway.

I had no intention of speaking tonight, but I'm going to appeal to Dan as a history teacher.

I majored in history and gender and women's studies.

Was lucky enough to graduate from URI in 2013.

You are not alone in what you're facing here.

History is never static.

It is moving.

So we have a government that is facing huge deficits.

So let's take that picture down and let's go to the state.

What's happening with the state budget?

The same thing that's happening here.

What does our country need?

What does our state need?

And what does our city need?

Courage.

Spines.

You know perfectly well to it's in front of you.

It is hard.

That's why you're here.

That's why we elected you to speak for us to protect us.

And if you don't, who will?

Are we going back to the 1930s?

With a depression?

No.

You have a choice.

I'm only I'm a retired woman.

I'm 81 years old.

I didn't intend to speak, but we need courage from our elected officials.

You have heard cuts to our children, cuts to housing.

What is this city doing?

This city isn't about just business.

It's about families.

That gentleman said, Am I going to raise my family here?

We can't afford housing.

Look at the price of houses.

It wasn't that way when I moved here 25 years ago.

So we are curtailing people the ability to have houses, just send their children to school.

This budget wanted to cut aid to senior citizens.

I was just at CCAP giving a donation the other day.

I had no idea how much they do.

I couldn't believe it.

There was the cafeteria, the people accepting donations to children, the mother coming in with her young son who needs medical attention.

Look at what's happening.

Don't just look at paper.

Look at the people who elected you who believed in you that you would have the courage to sit here and look at that budget and do something.

And I don't care if your aunt knows whoever and your brother knows whoever, this state needs to get rid of I Got a Guy.

Thank you.

My name's Jesse Dooley.

We're the 112 Lexington Avenue and Ward 2.

And yes, I did read your article.

Um I agree.

Um, you know what I'm tired of?

I'm tired of elected um officials, politicians running saying that they're not gonna raise taxes.

That's how they get elected.

And then we come to this type of moment where well, we really got to raise taxes.

And so, I mean, I don't know why we can't come up with a system, maybe where we raise them, but to go along with the cola.

I think everybody, if we had a reasonable level that was raised every year rather than pandering about not raising taxes, I think that would make a little bit more sense.

Um, I work at CCAP, okay.

Uh so I I deal with what's going on in society right now.

We cannot stop funding for the most vulnerable people, children or seniors.

You know, there's a there's an anecdotal moment when Lyndon Johnson spoke with Sergeant Shriver and this telephone call, you can listen to it, it's online.

He asked Sergeant Shriver, because he was Sergeant Shriver was working dealing with the the Peace Corps.

He wanted him to take on the war on poverty, and that's why CCAP exists for the war on poverty.

But you know what he asked him over the phone?

He said, Do you have the glands?

Do you have the glands?

And so when Gail comes up here and says we need courage.

We you know, I think we need the the heads of the unions to come and voluntarily speak with the city council.

Maybe that's already happening, maybe I'm unaware of that.

But you know, coming forward and and offering a little more to help this out.

Not to assign it to one department, one union.

This is a family affair.

This is Cranston.

But I think a little more glands on the part of them, a little more glands on the part of our elected officials.

This is very difficult.

Obviously, everybody's already said this.

You all have a very, very difficult job right now, and I think we should all appreciate that.

And none of us are gonna, you know, leave you hanging.

We hope you don't leave us hanging.

We're all in this together.

We want everybody to succeed.

We want Cranston to succeed.

So thank you for for my time.

Thank you.

Hi there, my name is Jessica Karsten Kappa.

I'm at 89 Forest Avenue.

Uh, this is the first city council um I've attended, and it's it'll just be quick, but I haven't had the opportunity to really dive in and dissect um the budget over the last few years.

I'm just asking if at some point tonight you could give us a really clear um explanation of how we got here over the last few years.

I know a few other people have asked for that.

Um I have some questions around if OPED needs to be funded at 100%.

I'm not pointing any fingers, I'm just asking for a clear explanation of if we need to do that, if there's any leeway there.

Um, a clear explanation of why overtime for fire is so high without hiring more staff and just kind of a general like clear explanation of how we got here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh I've already spoken a couple of times, so I don't want to repeat what I've said before, but as you know, I do not support going over the four percent um state cap.

And I've explained how you wouldn't, but it would require uh actual significant spending cuts.

Um, so I just want to address some things that I've heard over the last few days and weeks.

Uh, one the idea of going over four percent.

If you decide to go over four percent, you wouldn't need general assembly approval.

The legislation basically states notwithstanding anything, you can go over four percent.

The phrase anything, by the way, would come would cover the charter because under the home rule charter uh provisions of the state constitution, the general assembly has complete authority on taxes for cities and towns.

So if there's a conflict between the home rule charter and the state law, the state would prevail.

So you know, so you only would need a majority to pass any tax increase over four percent if you get General Assembly approval.

I don't advocate for it, but I wanted to clarify some of that.

There's a few other things you guys have talked about in the past, but I really can't get into it without consuming all my four minutes.

I am an advocate for spending cuts.

I just want to read you a quick thing fast from 2010 from a private poll.

But choose if you had to choose between raising property taxes in Cranston or reducing spending on city services, like programs at the senior center and park and rec.

What would you choose?

51% reduced spending, 29% raise taxes.

I'm in the 51%, and I don't think this has changed.

In 2010, the city reduced staffing at the senior center from 32 to 25.

There was no significant problem that I saw.

Actually, the senior center started in 1980 approximately.

Started with 11 people.

Right now, the reduction here is 19.

But reductions could occur there.

Reductions could occur in park and wreck.

You see, I don't like saying cut spending and not telling you exactly how it has to be done.

Not easy.

There's no silver bullets.

On the schools, no offense.

Like I said, I've always had a good experience with the schools.

I'm just skeptical of the schools and their um representations.

2004, 2008, they said the sky was falling, they couldn't make it.

They filed Currulo actions, they lost those cruel actions.

Audits were done, performance audits.

Those performance audits, there are items in there that have not been done still.

On the school budget, it's I first time I've gone through, I've gone through city budgets for the past century in detail over my time, but I never went through school stuff.

I'll just say this it's very difficult to go through this.

It's not comparable to the city.

For example, I'm not sure, but the school superintendent and other non-union administrative staff are receiving pay raises.

But you have to compare the 27 budget to the 26 because they don't specifically list it as a pay raise.

So, for example, the school school superintendent's getting like about a $6,000 pay raise.

When I see a lack of transparency, and then I look at the track record of the sky is falling, and it doesn't, it's like the boy who cried Wolf to me.

No offense.

Lastly, you have only really two options.

You're gonna have to raise taxes, or you're gonna have to cut real spending.

Door number three is called gimmick land.

And when I hear supplemental tax, I hear gimmick land.

I hear 2003, and that's you're still gonna get general assembly authorization.

There are checks and balances.

The check here is that you control the purse strings, you make the budget decisions and revise the budget if you don't like it.

That's what you should be doing.

So that's all I had to say.

Try to be as factual as possible.

Thank you very much.

Thanks, Steve.

Steve Steikos, 37 Ferncrest Avenue.

Uh, I've spoken before, and I won't repeat uh what I said at the last hearing.

Um Mr.

Frias talked about cuts.

I really like you to look at the capital budget.

There's 110,000 for tasers for the police department.

Can we do without that?

There's 450,000 for lights at Fay Field for baseball.

Can we do without that?

There's uh a somewhat nebulous million dollar facilities acquisitions and upgrades.

There's money for paving streets.

These are things that are nice to have, but we can wait.

Well, I'm not so sure the tasers are nice to have.

Um the second thing I'd like uh I'd like you to think of the uh the four-year-old who's at CCAP, and the mayor's budget, you four-year-old in head start, gonna get no head start.

But the mayor has in here $700,000 in a line item for labor contracts yet to be negotiated.

That's that's an easy one.

It's a tough year, no raises.

And there are other raises in there too, in addition to the 700,000.

So I really think that we got to keep our eye on that four-year-old who is completely vulnerable.

He can't come to the meeting and speak.

Just wants to wants to have a decent start in life.

And the proposal is to cut that to zero.

The second thing I another point I'd like to make is the this budget process that the council has uh had this time, which is really pretty bad.

Uh, in the past, what the council would do is everybody knew the mayor was going to deliver a budget, and its schedule was put out.

And uh when I was the chairman of the finance committee, you're given the one from last year.

You make a few additions, a few subtractions, move things around, the dates.

Um, but there were hearings, there were seven or eight hearings.

People were allowed to speak at the beginning of the hearing, not at the end, so that they could come and say their piece.

And there was an amendment night from the finance committee where people on the committee made amendments, and then several days later, there was a vote of the full council on more amendments.

And this was not a democratic thing or Republican thing.

The Republicans did it that way, the Democrats did it that way.

So everyone had a chance over the month of uh the uh month of April and into the first two weeks of May.

There were no meetings with two days notice.

That didn't happen.

So I really uh I hope you don't do this again.

The last thing I'd like to end with is a is a question, and that is that the audit in 2000 of the end of the last fiscal year said that the rainy day fund was 6.5 million dollars.

It was down to 6.5 million from 18 to 20 million mr.

You need to finish up.

It's the question to come.

Finish it.

Um we have seen in the newspaper that there's a projected 10 million dollar deficit.

So is the city gonna go broke in June because 6.5 million isn't gonna cover 10 million.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the chambers this evening would like to make public comment on the gender matters only?

I see none, so I'm gonna move online.

Tom, is there anyone online who'd like to Brian Wright?

Mr.

Wright, can you hear me?

It it's Miss Wright, it's a family name.

So I apologize.

It's okay, no problem.

Um, my name is Ryan.

Can you state your name and address for the record?

And you'll have four minutes.

My name is Ryan Meean Wright.

I'm located at 31 Cedar Wood Drive and 02920.

Um, I just wanted to express my concern about the mismanagement funds in the city of Cranston.

I would like to see an investigation into how why and how this happened.

Why were the numbers so far off?

I highly recommend that the 7.5 uh 7.4% tax increase be voted down.

I implore you to not allow the mayor to get away with this mismanagement of funds.

Please exercise your fiduciary duty to protect the taxpayers and the city.

Now, this this part won't be too popular, but I can reasonably get behind a 4% increase with a one-time, 3% supplemental, but I most certainly do not support a permanent 7.4% increase in taxes.

No one is happy about taxes going up, especially now in this economy, but doing the increase this way will allow more time for all to investigate and figure out what went wrong.

I also find it highly concerning that the House Majority Leader Michael Chippendale of Foster is the bill sponsor for the 7.4% increase in city taxes.

This is most certainly taxation without representation, and I ask that the city council put that on the record as well.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Someone else, Tom A reminder to the public, please press the raise hand button if you would like to speak.

I see no other public comment.

Okay, so at this time I'm gonna close public comment and we're gonna move on.

Um, the first item, and I I do want to point out a couple of scribner's error where it says the FYI 2000 should read the FY 2026-2027 budget amendments.

First item is a consideration of amendments for the FY 2026-2027 proposed budget included, but not limited to expenditures, revenues, any and all departments and line items thereof.

Let me stop before we begin and kind of explain at least my thinking on this matter.

Um I've certainly heard from a lot of people.

I haven't heard from just in this room, but I've heard from them on telephone, I've gotten emails, text messages, I've seen people in restaurants and stores.

Um is very clear is that the majority of the people that I've spoken to do not are not of the mindset that we should raise our taxes by 7.45.

So tonight, as a council, we do have to consider uh the mayor's fiscal year budget for 2026 and 27.

But in doing so, the city council members must consider a kind of a two-fold objective.

First, we have to adequately or I guess some people say at times not so adequately, we have to fund all the city's departments and all the functions.

But secondly, and this is important, something I've heard of, is we have to fulfill this task, complete this uh objective in a manner that's mindful and considerate to those who must foot the bill.

And many of them here this evening are taxpayers.

The circumstances that surround this budget are certainly unique, at least in recent memory memory, they're very bad in comparison.

We're in the midst of a 6.5 million dollar deficit in the 2025 budget, and as was stated, and as I've said before, we're currently trending towards a 10.4 million dollar deficit in the current 2026 budget.

This is a dire circumstance, and it's further exasperated by significant deficits also in our school department budget.

These reasons, and other reasons that have caused this issue, um, have also been clearly spelled out and written in the auditor general and the independent order that was that was conducted.

So for that reason, this council, and perhaps compressed our budget cycle a bit.

For that reason, the city council thought it fit to give the mayor an extension for the delivery of his current 2026-27 budget, with the intention that the issues that have been created and have created contributed to our current budget crisis would be addressed.

But let me say this, and let me just state this for the record, and I mean this with all sincerity.

It is not it is my intention to work collaboratively with the mayor and the administration in order to solve the financial issues that are facing our city.

I have no intention of engaging in any attacks or throwing of stones.

The work that must be done, and it has been made clear that many of you do understand it.

The work that must be done is important to the city, and we can't really take time to be distracted by those things.

I know I've talked to my colleagues, but they feel the same way.

To be frank, I'm disappointed with the budget that was presented to us.

But the truth is I'm taking that as a first step, and I'm viewing that the 202027 budget, the mayor and the administration presented as a first attempt at addressing our final and financial situation.

But please understand, in my view, like many first attempts, it's flawed to truly get out of this financial crisis that we find ourselves now in.

And in my view, it's just not fair right.

So to this end, I cannot support this budget.

And I also urge my colleagues to vote not to approve of this budget.

And also kindly send it back to the administration.

When I say that, I say that because I know, in addition to what the city council has to do, they have a tall, a tall order fill, kindly send this back to the administration and give them an opportunity to come up with a budget that is more fair to our taxpayers.

I also might add that the city council did members of the city council have met with um with amendments, but I'll tell you the truth.

The the small amount of amendments that we found pale in comparison to what we need.

We do need to make concessions that are not in the purview of the city council.

So that's another reason why I'm sending it back.

Um I hope a better budget will come forth.

I will take uh comments from the floor.

I know Mr.

Traffic Kennedy had his hand up.

Councilman Traffic Kanti, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr.

Council President.

My fellow council members and my fellow Cranstonians.

Long and hard, what to say this evening.

I've been thinking about the mayor's proposed budget presentation a few weeks back, requesting a 7.4% tax levy for FY2627, in order to, in simple terms, write the ship.

The mayor, as he should, in his budget message, took full responsibility for the budget crisis that occurred in 2324, 24 and 25, and certainly has had an impact upon 2627.

However, he laid the blame for the crisis on his former financial director, citing, and I quote, inaccurate budgets and misplaced trust.

As a former mayor who had the who had to produce 14 municipal budgets, I can assure you that the mayor was not let down, so to speak, by one person.

He was let down, in my opinion, by his entire finance and auditing team.

He was also led down by the administrative team who oversees all departmental budgets.

So the blame should be shared.

The mayor is quite aware that producing a municipal budget is a very difficult task, and it requires a total team effort.

And it was the mayor and his team that produced inaccurate budgets, which led to misplaced trusts.

Ladies and gentlemen, members of the council, and it will take the entire team again, along with the city council, to write the ship on behalf of the taxpayers at Cranston.

The members of the council, uh and ladies and gentlemen, I was first introduced to local Cranston politics and its government in 1970 under Mayor James Taft.

And I assure you, there's not been a mayor, to the best of my knowledge since then, that has not experienced five financial crisis sometimes during their team during their term of office, including yours truly.

Some mayors chose privatization of certain departments in order to save money.

Some chose a supplemental tax, some chose reopening collective bargaining agreements with their local unions, some chose a phase-in or phase out of operational debt, chose some chose all the above and much more.

Regardless, each made an effort to reduce the tax burden on their constituents.

And that is why we as a council, and I'm certainly recommending as the city council president has done that the proposed budget go back to the administration to look at all possibilities to reduce the proposed 7.4 tax levy in order to reduce the tax burden on our constituents.

Always keeping in mind that local government is a service-oriented business.

I'm going to say that again.

Council President, my fellow colleagues, whether we were present or not during the 2324 or 2425 budget crisis, it makes little difference.

It makes little difference.

Thank you, Mr.

Council President.

Thank you, Councilman.

I'm gonna go uh just for everybody, I'm gonna give everybody a chance to speak.

I'm gonna go right around the horn, so to speak.

Um, Council Vice President Haroin.

Thank you, Council President.

First of all, I want to thank everyone that came tonight from the public.

Um, everyone who has called me, emailed my fellow council members um to express what they felt about this budget.

It's very upsetting.

It's unreal.

Like everyone who has reached out, I cannot, I will not, and I cannot support this budget the way it was presented to me.

Um I will vote against this tonight for this increase in taxes.

Um this isn't a partisan issue.

This is a Cranston issue that affects all of us.

Um our city matters, uh city employees also matter.

Our city employees live here and take pride in their jobs.

Um public safety, our public works and all of our education that matters to everybody here, or they wouldn't be here tonight.

It's not just one department that this is affecting, it's affected everybody.

Um at this time when we call our neighbors are struggling with rising gas prices.

I just noticed coming here tonight, 409 for cat.

Unreal.

They're struggling with grocery bills, housing costs.

I I can't with a good conscience vote for this, surprise tax increase.

Um, the people who voted and trust in me, and I must have their backs at a time like this.

This is when we all stick together and I have to support the people.

I generally believe the administration has more work to do on this budget.

Um, this budget was not one person's fault.

We all know that not one person oversaw this budget.

Other people had eyes on this budget.

So we can't blame person that's no longer working here to explain their side of it.

Um I stand ready to work with the administration to work with city officials.

I know my colleagues and many other of the public are also willing to come to the table, office.

We can all the proposal, however, is unacceptable from the starting point.

I know people are unhappy that we're having this meeting, but we needed to have this meeting so that we can vote this down and it can go back for rework.

And then if there's amendments to be made, we cannot make them until we agree to pass a budget.

And then if something needs to go to the General Assembly, it needs to go there.

And I honestly believe if it's not Cranston representative sponsoring it, we shouldn't have a house floor vote on it.

If your own representatives that you elected that work in the mayor's office will not put their name on this, that's a big picture problem.

I'm sorry.

So I'm really hoping for a more affordable, better budget to come back to us.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council Vice President.

Uh, I see councilwoman Graziano.

Thank you, Council President Wall.

I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight.

I know how difficult it is to leave your families, um, especially coming here after work and taking time out of your busy day.

Um, I appreciate all of the comments.

And I think that we as a council have all of the same individual comments.

I mean, these are items that we have gone over in the budget.

And we've flagged a number of items that people have spoken about here tonight and concerns that people have spoken about here tonight.

Um, like my fellow council members, um, we've received a number of emails, and I think there's a lot of good ideas.

I think a lot of council members have a good idea, lots of good ideas.

And um, you know, I I think there can be cuts, but I think the smart thing to do this evening, um, in my opinion, is is what we're what I'm planning to do, which is to um not approve the 7.45 tax increase.

Um, I think there can be amendments made, and I appreciate that, but at the same time, those amendments need to be made under a smaller budget.

So to try to make amendments under a 7.45 budget doesn't make sense.

So I I really do feel like sending this back to the administration and trying to work with them on a lower budget makes the most sense here.

Um I I did want to say one thing, and I won't get into nitty-gritties, but tree care.

I care the most about trees.

But if you listen to this, if you listen to the Saturday um all day uh mix, it it's not it was actually cutting trees.

So I don't know that I support not cutting the budget.

I don't want them to cut trees.

I only want them to cut the trees that are necessary.

So just FYI and the tree care issue.

Um, but I absolutely support the senior center in CCAP, and I agree with everyone who made comments this evening.

Um, you have my full support on that.

Um, and we will take this back to the administration and let them know.

Um, but just make sure, like tree stuff that you know that it's not caring for trees, because I care about trees and I want all the trees to stay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman Graziano.

I recognize Councilman Ritz.

Thank you.

I did have some printed remarks that I dropped.

So uh bear with me as I share these.

So I I want to say a few things.

First off, I I want to talk about the mayor.

Um, you know, I I want to say Mayor Hofton, he he's a good man.

He cares deeply about the Cranston.

You know, he's a lifelong Rhode Islander, as was mentioned, he's a public school teacher.

You know, his family's here, he's here.

Um, you know, so so no one should doubt his commitment to the city, and then he's trying to do the best he can for the city.

Um, you know, and I and when I see that stuff on social media, it just it annoys me when I see that stuff.

Like the mayor, though, the council is the only as good as the information we receive.

Last year, this council fulfilled its legal responsibility of passing a balanced budget.

At that time, we were told clearly and directly that we could operate within this budget, but obviously that isn't true.

This council didn't know till March up till then.

We were a few million dollars, what we learned in the whole, which we could have made up until we got that letter from the auditor general.

We didn't know the deficit we are in.

Um, I I do appreciate, like Mayor Traffic said, the mayor coming forward and accepting responsibility for the budgeting errors.

Uh accountability does matter, so I want to acknowledge that.

However, I can't accept the solutions that's being presented.

Um, I will not support a budget that fixes internal budgeting errors on the backs of the taxpayers.

Families are already dealing with higher costs everywhere, rising gas prices, um, you know, expenses all around.

I I feel reasonable government is a one to two percent tax increase every year.

I think people understand that when I tell people that they understand it happens in their households.

I think that's just reasonable.

I'll never go out there and say we won't raise taxes.

It's just not a practical thing to say something like that.

Um again, so I'm I'm a no on on both budgets here, the operating budget and the capital budget.

Um, but I also want to be clear, I won't support a budget that hurts police, fire, or our schools.

I I think people move to Cranston because it's a safe city with what with wonderful schools.

So I won't support anything that that um jeopardizes that.

I think we can make many small cuts over almost all the areas there, small pullbacks there that won't have a major effect on services here to get this budget down.

Um again, um, you know, I I I do appreciate the mayor's ambition to and I share his vision of Cranston being a cutting-edge city and and all the things he's trying to implement there, but I do feel we need to slow down.

We we need to slow down with the things we have there because if we go too fast, it creates risk and the risk creates issues that we have right here too.

So um, you know, I've heard directly from from many residents.

We had a town hall with with some of the other councilmen here tonight, and it was very clear from the residents um, you know, how they feel about this.

I'm having a town hall in ward four with some of my council members this Saturday.

Um, you know, and I've heard many good ideas from from my peers from the residents, and I think we're just open to any ideas we have, and I think a lot of good ones have come there too.

But I think more work needs to be done on this budget to get it down to something reasonable to bring back to this council.

And then, as my peers have said, then from there we'll look to make additional cuts too.

Again, I can't be clear.

I'm a no on on both budgets tonight.

Um thank you, Councilman Ritz.

I'm going to start right coming right back this way.

Councilman Benano.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh, before I begin, I want to acknowledge um everybody that came out, everybody here in the gallery, and I want to acknowledge whether or not people are here or listening online.

I've received a ton of emails.

I haven't answered every single one yet, but I will, uh, as you can imagine.

It's a busy, busy time.

And uh, I do have family with two small children and studying the budget and trying to write emails with two small children asking me to play catch is difficult sometimes.

So I will get to you.

I did not forget you.

Um, I also want to compliment Cranston forward.

Um, while you might think that that's odd coming from one of your Republican council members, they've done a great job in advocating for um responsibility.

Some of the things that they mentioned might not be able to be done, some of them might not be legal.

Um, however, I appreciate the effort and I appreciate everything that they've said to try to help this situation without pointing fingers and without uh some of the political vitriol that we're all too accustomed to.

Um I ran for office with a four-point plan.

Strong schools, a safe, clean, and secure city, stable taxes, and strengthening economic development.

And the reason I can't vote for this budget is because this budget doesn't do any of those things.

Um my plan and I encourage the administration to do a few things to try to fix the problem.

Expand economic development and not disband it, because economic development will bring in stable taxes that are not on the back of the residential taxpayer.

Perhaps I heard today a great idea.

They need to merge with the planning department in order to continue the direction of our city and our economic development.

We need cutting edge, robust, competent and aggressive economic development, quite frankly, to bring in the most tax dollars possible, not on the backs of the residents.

I encourage the administration to expand our property tax schedule from the simple two residential and commercial to four or perhaps five tiers.

Residential with a homestead, period, a residential without a homestead, light commercial, heavy commercial, and industrial.

If we're able to do that, we can again ease the burden off of the person living in their home, and we can shift some of that burden to people who can afford it.

I would like the administration to come back with us with two plans.

A plan that does not require General Assembly approval at 4%, and perhaps one that does at 5.5% at a at a maximum, so we can see exactly what the plan is and what is the priority, and we can adequately make our determinations as to what we prioritize.

And I want to be very, very clear to the administration, to my fellow colleagues on the council, and to everybody in the city of Cranston.

I will not vote for and I will not support any option that closes the Cranston Senior Center.

I will not support and I will not vote for any reduction in the paltry 1.5 million dollars to our schools.

John Adams once said the whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people.

And my commitment is to that.

Our duty as a city council and our duty as a people is to protect the most vulnerable, especially the very old and especially the very young, because most of the time they cannot advocate for themselves.

I want to leave you with a quote from one of my favorite philosophers, Groucho Marks.

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.

Unfortunately, this budget applies the wrong remedies.

Come back to us with something that features balance and equity for us to consider for the betterment of the people of Cranston to put it back on that hill and making the shining city I grew up with.

Thank you very much, Mr.

President.

Thank you, Councilman Benano.

Uh, moving right along to Councilman Anduha.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I just want to remind my fellow colleagues, uh, this seems like the dog and pony show.

We don't have time.

The General Assembly is probably going to leave in 45 days and they meet twice a week.

So we need to start moving our behinds.

Um matter what we pass, quality of life in Cranston is gonna be hurt.

We're gonna lose people plowing our streets, we're gonna lose people cleaning our parks.

We could make all the cuts we want, but we're still in the hole.

So I just want to urge my colleagues to get together.

Let's get this resolution up there.

Doesn't matter who put it in, we don't have time.

So I just want to remind everybody we don't have time and we need to get this going.

That's all I have to say.

And I want to applaud Arthur Jordan and his team for coming to the table first with cuts.

I'm still waiting to see the other unions come to the table.

But I applaud you.

Thank you very much.

You are a true castodian.

Thank you, Councilman Andrew Ha.

Councilman Captain.

Campion, pardon me.

Thank you, Council President.

Uh, first of all, I want to thank everybody for coming out tonight and uh spending time.

I did also let the rest of my colleagues get many, many emails.

I believe I answered all of them or called some of them.

And um, if I missed you, I apologize, but we hear you.

Uh, I want to commend the council president for um for his willingness to work with the administration.

Uh, I don't think giving back the budget is a black mark on the administration.

I believe it's an opportunity to work together.

So we have to work together as a whole in order to get this done.

I also am a realist, and there is going to be a tax increase.

We need to move the leak the needle far to the left with something we can work with.

So uh I am looking forward, if that's the right word to use, looking forward to working with the rest of my colleagues and the administration uh quickly, as uh councilman Eterha said quickly in order to get some type of solution, something we can work with going forward and uh hopefully keeping all of our services that are so near and dear to all of our hearts.

So thank you again, Council President.

Thank you for helping me speaking.

Thank you, Councilman Camper Piano, Councilwoman Vizeri.

So first, um, I would like to thank everyone who came out here tonight, along with all the emails and phone calls that I've received.

Um, I won't beat a dead horse, but uh I do want to echo council vice president Heroyan.

Um, you know, this proposal was insulting, and I think we need to work together to revise this budget and make it feasible for our taxpayers.

So therefore, I will not be in support of this budget.

And you know, our taxpayers are not an ETM.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman Bazeri.

I'll just take one quick look around.

If there's any members of the council want to speak at all on any director, would you like to speak?

Yes, Council President.

Let me check with Mike.

Let me just make sure all my council members are set, and now I'll get you one second.

Sure.

Any other member of the council would like to speak for a second time, and then I'm gonna give the floor.

Um to do uh yes.

I I just want to make one quick remote.

And I love your Andy.

I do, I really do.

But believe me, this is not a dog and pony show.

Far from it.

Thank you, Councilman.

Anyone else?

Director Murady, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I wasn't actually prepared to make any remarks this evening, but uh given some of the remarks, I think it's necessary to put things in in perspective.

Um particularly with the responsibility for the budget.

I think there's a few things to note.

Uh that this is not the first time in the history of the city in recent history, relatively speaking, of the city, uh, that have been in have uh where there's been significant uh tax increases requested by the administration, approved by city councils.

Um I could tell you as far as the uh recent as the Fung administration going back in 2009, uh the Laffey administration, the O'Leary administration, and and our dear friend and colleague, my uh Mayor Traffic Anti, three years had increases of 10%, 9 and 0.4%, and 11.6.6 himself.

So he knows about responsibility and you know, about stepping up, and he did his job back then and faced uh made the tough decisions.

So we're so we appreciate that, and and I'm sure he appreciates making a tough decision on a 7.4.

Um, but I think it's important to kind of note that historically.

Um also noted about uh other people in the administration should accept responsibility.

Absolutely, everyone does, but no one mentioned also the city council.

You might all know that the city council uh every month uh receives financial reports um to report the progress of the city's finances.

Uh you might just want to point that out.

The um there is uh audit committees, I believe there was zero order committee meetings held.

Um that's the oversight.

Let's face it, the city council is the overseers, the body that oversees the administration, and rightfully so, but there was not an order committee called, I think, and for sure at least one year and probably two years, the last couple of years.

Um I just want to mention that, um, not to point out one particular person, but the city council has a designated budget auditor, um, who I very much know respect.

Um, but just to say you have the resources uh to be able to evaluate the budget last year and as the budget as the you know as your finances progressed over the over the years.

Um we just don't want to miss those important points.

So I I agree everyone was responsible.

I think there was a systematic failure as to why it happened.

I can tell you the fundamental source, but overall, I think everyone should accept some responsibility and um especially step up to that.

Not saying anyone like the mayor's budget.

Um, I don't like the mayor's budget.

He doesn't like the budget, and he understands why people don't like this budget.

Um, no one is happy with it.

Um the one thing about this budget is we can't look back.

We all have to look forward.

And uh, and it's difficult.

It's difficult for the all the employees of the city, certainly of the school department, um, the taxpayers, and and uh it'll affect the city going forward.

There's no quite no question about that.

Um, but there's one thing about the mayor's proposed budget.

He did not want to propose a 7%, 7.4% tax increase.

Um, but he felt it's the right thing to do because at least it would fix the problem.

It wouldn't make people happy, not one person in this room I would expect to be happy, but it would fix the problem and we can move on going forward.

The with that with this budget, the there is no elimination or reduction in city services.

We would still maintain the quality services that we currently have ever been experienced.

Um people were insulted, I suppose, when the city offered uh some employees, particularly the retirement age and incentive if they wish to retire.

No one forced them to retire.

They looked it upon as a positive thing who voluntarily retired, they were pleased to do so.

There were no layoffs, there was no threat of layoffs to it to employees.

No, there were none.

They would just say we not one person was threatened with the layoff.

Uh, I'm not sure if you're in the room or not.

Um, and everyone who wants to stay with the city can stay with the city.

There's about three or four positions, I believe, that we felt are not necessary given these circumstances, but opportunity was still allowed for them to move into other positions in the city.

So there were approximately 20 people, 18 to 22 people where we had a workforce reduction in the city as a voluntary basis, and um, and everyone would still have a job, and all city services would remain.

Um, the city council has three options.

One is accept the mayor's budget.

I don't expect that to be the case.

You folks did a fine review and evaluated it, but as you self-admittedly indicated, that you really didn't find much, that there are small modifications, I'm sure you would like to make, but uh basically of sick of significance more immaterial amounts that are knocked that you really couldn't find to fix the problem.

So you have the authority, and you have actually the responsibility in the city charter where the mayor proposes a budget, the council has full authority, pending veto power of the mayor, but to modify the budget as you wish, as this body sees fit.

And what I'm hearing is you want to send it back to the mayor.

You don't want to make those decisions of where you wish to cut the budget, increase the budget.

You're gonna put that budget responsibility back on the mayor, and it's a responsibility he'll take on.

I assure you, it is not going to be a budget.

The mayor wants to give you back.

If you think there's cuts now that you're not happy with, the next version will result in the reduction in city services.

The next version will reduct, will have an impact on the reduction of involuntary, more than likely, involuntary employee terminations, and would most likely have a more of a uh negative impact on the school on school funding.

I don't see where if you want to reduce the tax increase, how we can find millions and millions of dollars when you couldn't do it to fund everything that everyone wants.

It's an impossible task.

So the plea is accept this budget, modify it as you see fit, bite the bullet, and move on.

It fixes the problem.

There will not be recurring problems.

Sure, they might have to be a tax increase next year, perhaps.

Given sure.

Sure, sure.

Giving give it.

Hold on.

Sure, sure.

Hold on.

We're gonna have order.

I think you can finish up, Director.

Thank you, Council President.

The I I believe there's likely to be inflation.

Inflation hits the city just like it hits everyone at home.

We're not gonna deny that.

Okay, we're not promising no tax increases.

People still have to be paid.

And if people sacrifice this year, you can't ask them to sacrifice every you can ask, but I doubt the success of that every single year moving forward that people won't are just going to accept where they're at.

Sewer fees are increasing.

The you know the water bills going up 30% uh the of the city of Cranston, you know, utility bills.

Uh the city of Cranston, you know, utility bills.

If it's unrealistic that taxes won't go up, I don't many know of many occasions in any municipality or state where taxes went down.

There are some exceptions, but I think it's the rare exception.

But this problem, this fixes the problem, and then we will just deal with things going forward.

That we're not doing things have to deal in the future retroactively.

So with that, ma'am, I'm not thinking I'm limited to the four minutes, please.

Thank you very much.

I think it's an important thing.

The folks are asking about problems or where they came from or solutions.

This administration is trying to offer them.

You might not like to hear it, but it's the mature thing to do is step up and accept responsibility, which is being done and explain to the public, which the public deserves to hear what I'm saying.

I I can't engage in a dialogue like that.

Once again, the director, we're not going back and forth to the audience.

I'll also say the members of the chamber, we're not going back and forth.

Are you almost done, Director?

Yes, sir.

The one thing I would we would ask the city council to look at.

There was you know issues about increases on the city side for the workers, but there's built-in raises for the school administration.

We're not seeing those sacrifices, frankly.

Um, that's held to the standard of the city.

City can have 45% of the budget.

The school has 56% of the budget.

And those are some things that people don't like to hear, but they they should be offered for the sake of transparency.

The bottom line is rejecting this budget will have lasting impact impacts on the city.

Um, there will be reductions, as I mentioned, city services, likely employees as well.

That that we need to keep the city operating.

If it comes back, you folks couldn't find the answers to it.

I don't know how you expect the mayor to find those answers beyond it.

And the best of the worst scenarios is accepting this budget.

And the administration urges council to act, modify it as you see fit, but move on and put this behind us because we so the mayor certainly does not want to come back with a budget that looks worse than this, and I think that's we're likely to see.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, director.

Let me just unfortunately, I'm gonna I'm gonna go around one more time, but I I'm gonna say I want one of your reiterate that this was supposed to be kind of a collaborative, rather you know, congenial process.

I know I mentioned that I had no no intention to engage in a tax or lobbying back and forth because I don't think it's productive.

However, if I was in that mindset, and I may be going forward, I may have one or two things I might say to respond to the director's items.

However, I don't, however, I do not, you will not interrupt me.

You will not.

Pardon me, you had your time, plenty of it.

So I will not at this time direct that.

All right.

But that being said, I'll say it again.

It is not productive to go back and forth on this matter, but we'll have a chance to disagree in an agreeable manner.

I'm going to take members, and the other thing some of the shock and awe tactics.

I'm not appreciative of those either.

But we'll we'll talk further.

We have many meetings coming ahead.

All right.

I don't think it's fair to characterize the people who don't vote in the manner that you see as causing a further problem.

I don't think we did that when we were speaking.

So I'm gonna go around this way around, and then I'm gonna take a vote on the items on the agenda.

Thank you.

Um, any I'm gonna go right around.

I don't see anybody's hand.

I see Councilman Ander, and then I see Councilman Banano.

Thank you.

I apologize to the public because this is a dog and pony show I'm talking about.

We need to shut up and we need to get to work.

For the record, in November, thanks to our auditor, we started sounding the alarm about the audit.

Where is it?

We didn't get it.

Come January, this body, finance committee.

We started putting the agenda the monthly, the monthly finance reports instead of quarterly, they started coming on monthly.

And that administrator right there that was just talking.

He in March at the meeting, confessed that they knew about this problem in August.

And we got dropped this.

This dropped on our lap at the end of March.

So we are working, but we all need to shut up on both sides and get to work because at the end of the day, it's all of you and all of us that are gonna suffer.

So let's support the mayor as much as we can with ideas.

Give us ideas, and let's get to work.

That's all I have to say.

No, thank you, councilman.

Councilman Benano.

Thank you.

I agree with everything you said, except I have to shut up though.

My grandfather taught me a very valuable lesson.

And I'm gonna use a letter instead of a word.

He says, when you F up, admit it and fix it right away.

I'm very disappointed with what the director just said.

And his comments did not do the mayor any service.

Don't deflect blame to us.

Don't say we got reports every month when we didn't get them from August to November.

And our collective pay on this, I make license plates for a living.

That's what I do.

And I oversee a print shop.

You could be GD sure that those license plates are made on time and they're sent to the registry on time.

This is a part-time job.

I get paid about six thousand dollars to eight thousand.

I don't even know how much it is, but it's it's a lot of it's probably like about I think my inmates that work for me at the prison make more than than I do in an hour for this job.

Okay.

There's a staff that gets paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to watch the city budget.

They know better than we or maybe they don't, and that's the problem.

Want to say one more thing.

Any cuts, any cuts that the public doesn't like is not on this council, it's on whoever proposes them.

Do not put this council in between the administration and the public.

Do not try to pigeonhole us.

I have said and I will say again, and I don't care about what party I am.

I don't care about whether or not you're gonna punish me when I go to run for re-election.

I don't care.

Okay.

What I care about is the people of the city, and I care about fixing this the right way with balance and equity, not threats and pigeonholing.

Anthony, I like I like you as a person.

You're gonna be mad at me for weeks, but you didn't do the mayor any service by what you said.

Thank you, councilman.

If anybody coming down the line, yeah, councilwoman Graziano, did you?

Yeah.

Um I wanna thank Councilman Bonano.

I agree.

I mean, we sat here last year as a council, and we specifically asked whether or not we could make these budget line items specifically.

My biggest issue was, and this is in the meeting minutes that I asked about the 4.5 million dollars for the overtime budget.

I was for fire department, I was told we could make that budget, and I believe that this council is lied to.

I believe there was never an opportunity to make that budget.

That's part of some of the 2.1 million dollars that's missing this year, which was underfunded, and I think that continues throughout the line items for last year.

So I'm disappointed that we were not given the appropriate information, and I look forward to getting the appropriate information this year with a budget that works for this city for our residents, and one that is not putting the burden on to our residents.

In addition, I want to make sure that the appropriate um departments are funded and are able to do the services that our residents rely on.

Thank you.

Thank you, councilwoman.

Council Vice President.

I wasn't gonna say anything, but I didn't appreciate the blame being here on part-time city council.

We did not find out of this last August when other people do.

We all work full time.

We had the confidence that what we were being told was the truth.

Shame on us.

Obviously, we cannot.

So if we need to do public ACPA requests and request emails, whatever we need to to get the correct information, that will be done now after tonight.

I am not a CPA, but other people are.

I have not worked for the auditor general, but other people have.

So I don't think the blame's on us.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council Vice President.

Councilman Trafficamp, we're gonna finish with you.

Yeah, you know, throwing grenades at each other is not helpful.

We're not gonna accomplish a damn thing by doing that.

So let's stop it right now.

We have to work together.

We have a budget crisis, which we have to work on together.

And Mr.

Moretti, I respect your position, I respect your credentials.

You are on a line tonight by doing that.

Council President.

Yeah, uh, did I miss you, Council Camp?

I did I did, but uh I didn't give you an opportunity to speak, so I was just about to close and move on.

But certainly, councilman.

Thank you, council president.

I just want to be the calming factor in the room.

Uh, we I'm gonna reiterate we need to work together.

I am still very apprehensive that we are gonna get this done, and we're gonna do what's right for the people of Cranston.

So let's all work together.

You want to council president and the rest of my colleagues?

So thank you.

Thank you for those words.

All right, we're gonna move along, and I just want to check with the uh council attorney.

If you were not in favor of something, the proper uh motion would be the motion to reject.

Okay, motion not to approve.

Motion not to approve or motion to eject if there was something that came up.

The first item we're gonna consider is the adoption of the budget for the fiscal year.

Um July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2027, as amended by the city council.

Pardon one moment.

So as I said, we are considering the first item the adoption of the uh budget for fiscal year July 1st, 2026 through July 30th, 2027 as adopted by the city council on amended by the city council april twenty-nint, two thousand twenty-six.

Is there motion to reject?

Motion to reject, second.

Is there any discussion?

Just a point of inquiry.

Uh a yes vote is to reject and a no voters to yes vote is to reject that's why in the affirmative.

So it's an affirmative motion.

Just want to make sure.

Thank you.

Okay, any any further comments?

I see councilman camper beyond.

Uh thank you, council president.

Can um, I don't know if it's necessary, but we can have an explanation to the public of what this means in what would happen and how it comes back and how the process works.

It's a good idea.

Well, certainly, why don't you do it?

Council council.

So my reading of the charter is that the budget will not be adopted.

I'm sorry, sorry, the uh the budget would not be if if this motion carries, the budget would not be adopted.

The budget that we don't have a budget, we have a fiscal year that ends June 30th.

The budget would go back to the mayor's office to propose an alternative budget.

Um has excuse me.

Hold on, excuse me.

So but Mr.

Muller, we had this discussion, so I don't I don't know why this is a surprise.

The budget would go back to the mayor.

He would have whatever time he needs to present a new budget, and then we'd go through the process again.

But the fiscal year doesn't end till January 30, June 30th.

So we're still on the old but under the old budget.

Obviously, we the budget.

The the issue is if the council were to reject the budget under the current charter, the mayor's budget would be put in, right?

That's what the charter says.

If council rejects the budget, the mayor's budget then becomes the operative budget.

The problem is the mayor's budget isn't a legal budget because it's above the four percent cap.

So he doesn't have a budget.

So that's why this is a little different, unlike other years.

The charter is is doesn't really address this issue, but you do not have a legal budget.

So you can't say the mayor's budget automatically gets put in because it's above the four percent cap.

So that's the that's that's the position of me as legal counselor to the council.

I did have this discussion with Mr.

Malay previous to that.

So rejecting the budget goes back to the mayor.

He's got to propose a budget within the charter parameters or seek other legislation to go above that.

Thank you, Solicitor.

Um not everybody understands the process, so I want to thank you for uh clarifying that.

And certainly I appreciate it.

And just hold on a minute.

One more.

I'm I'm gonna take uh councilman inha's question before I just want the public to know that if none of this works out, we're gonna reduce back to the current budget, which is three percent.

If we go back to three percent by January, we're bankrupt.

Thank you.

All right, just everybody keep that in mind.

All right, so I have a motion to reject.

Um, I have a second.

Any other discussion, guys?

Could you I need to turn it down?

I mean, I'll be on all right.

Any other discussion?

All right, um, clerk, could you please please call a roll and remember the affirmative would be to reject reject council graziano?

Yes, councilman Andrew Huntsman, yes, council, yes, councilcante.

Yes, Consmer Ritz, yes, Conspecante, yes, Consulwoman Vaziri, yes, Conspiano, yes, Consano, yes, Consul Vice President Heroyan, yes, Consul President Wall, yes, motion carries that motion carries.

All right, so if I'm clear, just for the record, aside from the resolution that's three down authorizing the adoption of the capital budget for the fiscal year 2027 in the capital improvement uh program 2027 through 231.

Every one of these ordinances and resolutions are tied to that first one, the appropriations therein.

So the only one that's not directly tied to it because it is um bonded bonded uh revenue are those.

So you couldn't theoretically, those all should be if you reject one.

I'm gonna be looking once again for a motion to reject.

So looking at the resolution of the Cranston City Council adopting the operating the operating budget and the salary schedule for the general fund sewer fund ice rink insurance fund and the capital budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1st, 2026 and ending July 30th, 2027.

I'm sorry, I I can't hear the council president.

I apologize.

I don't like to admonish the crowd.

I get you.

All right, uh so the second one resolution of the city council adopting the operating budget and salary schedule for the general fund, sewer fund, ice rank, insurance fund in the capital budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1st, 2026, ending June 30th, 2022, and adopting the capital improvement program before successive years.

Is there a motion to reject?

Motion to reject second.

Any discussion?

I see none.

Clerk, please call roll.

Consulma Graziano?

Yes, Consul Hart?

Yes, Consmer Ritz, yes, Consul Traficante, yes, Consulwoman Vaziri, yes, Conspiano, yes, Cons Banano, yes, Constable Vice President Heroyan, yes, Consul President Wall.

Yes.

Now I'm gonna ask the council attorney.

The next item is a resolution authorizing the adoption of the capital budget fiscal year 2027 capital improvement program for the years 2027 through 2030, pursuant to sections six, one two of the home rule charter.

Technically, because we eject rejected the first one, it would be logical that we reject that as well.

Would that be correct?

Yes, but I want to have a formal vote of the council.

Okay, is there a motion to reject?

Motion to reject.

Is there a second?

Second.

Is there discussion?

Okay, there be ice discussion there being none, clerk, please call a roll.

Consulwoman Graziano, yes, Consmandujar, yes, Consmer Ritz, yes, Consti?

Yes, Consulman Vazeri, yes, Conspiano, yes, Conservatino, yes, Consul Vice President Heroyan, yes, Consul President Wall.

Yes.

Next item for business is an ordinance making annual appropriation.

The city of Cranston for the fiscal year commencing July 1st, 2026 and ending June 30th, 2027.

Is there a motion to reject?

Motion to reject second motion made and second.

Is there discussion?

There being none, clerk, please call a roll.

Yes, yes, Conspectante.

Yes, Consulwoman Vaziri, yes, Conspecano?

Yes, Conservative?

Yes.

Yes.

The next two items um under advice of council.

It is prudent for us to table those two.

So I'll be looking for a motion to table a resolution authorizing the assessment of valuations in levy of taxes in the rateable real estate tax and tangible personal property tax of the city of Cranston.

Is there a motion to table?

Motion to table.

Second.

Discussion.

No discussion.

All right, clerk, please call a roll.

Consul McGraziano.

Yes.

Casmananduha?

Yes.

Casper Ritz.

Consider Traffic Canti.

Yes.

Consulman Vaziri.

Yes.

Conspected Camp Piano.

Casa Banano.

Yes.

Consider Vice President Heroyan.

Yeah.

Consider President Wall.

Yes.

Next item is an ordinance fixing the date when taxes are assessed as of December 31st, 2026.

Will be uh is that is that the correct window?

Uh as of to December 31st, 2025, will be due and payable on the date when unpaid taxes will carry a penalty.

Is there a motion to table?

Motion to table.

Second.

Second.

Clerk, please call a roll.

Consul McGraziano?

Yes.

Councilman Andrew Har, Conspa Ritz.

Yes.

Consider Traffic Canti.

Councilwoman Vaziri.

Yes.

Conspected Camp Piano.

Council Banana.

Yes.

Consider Vice President Heroyan.

Yes.

Yes.

Thank you.

Listen, I also want to take my personal time to say thank you all for coming out.

And there being no further business before this council this evening.

I'm looking for a motion to adjourn.

All in favor signify by saying aye.

Opposed signify by saying nay.