Mayor’s Budget Address:
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
- Good evening, President Mercer, Honorable members of the Council, and dedicated residents of our great city.
- I’d like to begin by sincerely thanking you for your hard work, and dedication to our great city. While we may not always see eye to eye, a cohesive partnership and respect between the Mayor, the City Council, and the School Committee is crucial to moving our great city forward.
- Despite the pandemic being in the rearview, we still feel its lasting effects from inflation to rising interest rates.
- However, we continue to keep our city in sound fiscal standing through our collaborative and steady leadership.
- Time and time again, our Pawtucket residents have proven to show their resiliency. Our residents love this city. Families of all backgrounds have lived here for generations. As elected officials, we must continue to protect their best interests.
- And the budget before you shows that we are doing just that.
- We are providing our essential services, well below the inflation rate. We have lowered the residential and commercial tax rates by 26% each as we keep an eye on the levy increase and property revaluation.
- The proposed budget I am presenting tonight, controls and reduces spending, while still improving and investing in the overall quality of life for our residents.
- Despite losing state aid, and no reliance on ARPA funds, we have worked tirelessly to decrease departmental operating spending, healthcare costs, and outside consulting costs, saving the taxpayers nearly $2.5 million.
- Each of the department heads and their teams has worked tirelessly to craft responsible proposals. I would like to recognize and thank the entire Finance Team led by Mark Stankiewicz and Jeannine Bourski.
- I am confident that you, and the residents, will be able to see the common theme of smart, sustainable budgeting throughout this plan.
- We have continued to emphasize investing in our schools, improving public safety, and of course, enhancing the overall quality of life for residents.
- As you can all see, the school’s proposed budget was submitted to you separately from the city budget. This was necessitated as the Pawtucket School Department was not ready to meet the required timeline as they were dealing with a complete transition within their Finance Department.
- This required us to fund the schools at last year’s levels which included a $7 million increase in state aid.
- I trust and value Superintendent Royal, who will be presenting the School budget to this honorable body.
- Delivering the best environment for our educators is essential to providing the best education for our students. This is our number one priority.
- I look forward to working with this Council, the School Committee, Superintendent Royal, the Administrators, and teachers led by Pawtucket Teachers Alliance President Ron Beaupre.
- Pawtucket remains the leading city in Rhode Island when it comes to our school construction projects.
- In recent years, we have completed major renovations to Potter-Burns and Nathanael Greene Elementary Schools, and we finished a brand new educational facility at Winters Elementary.
- This is all possible thanks to the residents who voted on these bonds as well as the strong financial position of the city and the proper management of the debt service.
- Just two weeks ago, we held the steel topping ceremony, signifying a massive step forward on the Baldwin School project. And soon, we will begin construction on our brand-new, unified high school. This state-of-the-art facility will transform education in our city.
- And that is because our students and educators deserve it. For too long we have underestimated the effect that a technologically advanced, safe, warm, and dry, learning center can have on not only our students, teachers, and our community.
- Public safety remains at the forefront of everything we do. We continue to prioritize the highest level of equipment and technology for our Police and Fire departments.
- In the past year, we have acquired two new fire trucks and multiple police vehicles, as well as upgrading our needed technology.
- This past year, our Fire Department was one of the first in the state to have all four rescues attain the “paramedic level”, the highest level a rescue can achieve.
- Fire Station 1 is anticipated to open within the next month. This station has been closed for a few years now, and it is finally time for it to be back open and operating, for our residents in the Woodlawn Community.
- Our Community Policing Unit serves as a model throughout the state. They are present at all community events, even hosting quite a few successful events themselves, and compassionately assist in the homelessness crisis.
- They have made great investments in our most vulnerable communities, and have established safer, and more secure streets.
- I want to thank both the Chiefs and their departments for their commitment to the overall safety of our community.
- My administration continues to remain focused on improving quality of life priorities and the betterment of the community.
- Our open space initiatives, and revitalizing our current parks and recreation facilities remain at the top of our priorities.
- This week, work has begun on the extension of the Bikeway project.
- Working with Councilor Martins Stachowiack construction on the Slater Middle School Recess Area will commence in the coming weeks.
- We are in the process of purchasing additional green space at the Riverside Cemetery site.
- Through the work of the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency, we continue to develop the “Downtown Gateway Properties” and waterfront access.
- And of course, we continue to invest in repaving our roads, and additionally making improvements to green and water infrastructure, by planting more trees, and investing money into replacing our sewers – both of which are long-term, sustainable investments into our city’s future.
- Soon, we will be out asking the voters for a 20 million bond approval that will allow us to continue funding various infrastructure projects including road paving, additional park developments, and sewer improvements.
- These infrastructure investments, while seemingly basic on the surface, will drastically improve our city for years to come.
- Fourteen years ago, when I took office, our City was in a drastically different place. We were on the brink of bankruptcy, with a low bond rating, negative reserves, and a near-state takeover with little to no investment in our community or its future.
- Today, we are financially secure, have a reserve of better than $10 million, an A+ bond rating, and have been investing millions in our schools.
- We have been recognized by multiple national magazines as an upcoming place to live. We have a state-of-the-art stadium and a commuter rail station.
- I want to personally thank each of you for your commitment to protecting our taxpayers’ best interests, year after year.
- I would be remiss not to recognize the hardworking city employees, who show up every day, constantly putting their best foot forward.
- Together, we are protecting those we represent with an efficient, yet fair budget while taking into account the financial repercussions of a global pandemic.
- Pawtucket is quickly moving towards an upward trajectory.
- In the coming weeks, I look forward to working closely with you on reducing this budget, as we focus on what is best for all Pawtucket residents.
- Once again, thank you for your time and hard work.