EAST PROVIDENCE — The administration pushed it to the 11th hour, Mayor Bob DaSilva submitted his draft Fiscal Year 2025 budget to the City Council in the late-night hours of Monday evening, Sept. 16, mere minutes before the deadline mandated in the City Charter.

Per said Charter, the executive branch shall provide the legislative body with the proposed budget for the next 12 months 45 days prior to the end of the current financial calendar.

"The City Council didn’t have much to say about the mayor’s proposed FY25 budget at our September 17 meeting as we received it at the last possible moment as required by charter. An electronic version was emailed to us just before midnight at the required submission deadline. Members didn’t get a chance to review it in time for the next day’s council meeting. A printed version of the proposed budget was made available on September 18 and the council is now reviewing," said City Council President and At-Large member Bob Rodericks.

As most should be well aware by now, East Providence's fiscal year, unlike the rest of the municipalities around the state, runs from November 1 to October 31. Nearly all cities and towns as well as the state operate on a traditional July 1-June 30 fiscal timeframe.

DaSilva's FY2025 proposal calls for a total operational expenditure of $196,369,203, which represents a $5,351,936 increase, or 2.8%, over FY2024 budget of $191,017,267.

The increases in expenditures come from both the city side and the schools. The city's operations cost are expected to be increased by $2,820,012 or 2.99%, while the School Department's rose $2,531,924, or 2.61%.

An increase of 3.5 percent to the tax levy would be required, which bumps up close to the maximum 4% allowed by state law.

“This year's budget balances the needs and expectations of our residents. It continues to highlight our administration's priority of protecting our first responders while emphasizing both education and public safety,” DaSilva said. “Despite rising inflation and an increase in costs of goods and services, the city’s finances remain stable and strong and this budget continues our efforts to provide affordable, quality services, while also recognizing the challenges that our taxpayers face in this economic inflationary climate.”

DaSilva touted the city's commitment to completely back the budget submission of the Schools Superintendent Dr. Sandra Forand, $99,396,962 in FY25 up from $97,024,640 the previous year.

As part of her department's outlay, Forand is seeking an additional $2.2 million year-over-year from the city, the maximum it can request per the state's maintenance of effort rules.

DaSilva's draft claims the additional School Department funding, nearly all of it needed to meet contractual salary and benefit increases for district employees, requires an additional $300,000 in taxes.

"The proposed FY25 budget of just under $197 million (including the school plan) will be scrutinized during upcoming public workshops and council meetings," Rodericks added. "We did receive the School Department budget at our September 17 meeting and members pledged support for that proposal. Ideally, more review time would be helpful, but budgets are mostly fixed with personnel and other mandates. I am confident that we have sufficient time to review the proposal and vote on a final package.”

The mayor's overview of the FY25 budget included the following bullet points pertaining to the proposed $5.3 million increase:

● A $1.8M increase in the Police and Fire pension per the City’s Actuary

● A $2.5M increase for School Department

● A $1.3M increase for municipal salary and contractual obligations

● Inflation/Increase of cost of goods and services

● Inflationary increases in Electricity, Heating, and Gas

To pay for the increases, DaSilva is projecting the following "revenue streams:"

● $1.4 million from taxes

● $1.8 million from tangible reimbursement

● $1.1 million from interest income

● $200,000 meals and other state aid

● $150,000 fires rescue fees

● $150,000 fire Homeland Security Grant Program 2024

● $300,000 school other income

DaSilva also called the administration's effort to fully fund the city's contractually obligated, Annual Required Contribution (ARC), for the employees' retirement a "driving factor."

The mayor also alluded to the need for the city to meet its bond obligations associated with the reconstruction and renovations to schools, including the $189.5 million for the new East Providence High School and the $148 million for major improvements Martin Middle School and Waddington Elementary School as well as other other buildings around the district.

DaSilva concluded his draft proposal letter with the following, "The City’s finances remain stable and strong, and this budget continues our efforts to provide affordable. quality services, while also recognizing the challenges that our taxpayers face in this economic inflationary climate."

The complete FY25 draft proposal can be found at https://stories.opengov.com/eastprovidenceri/published/XxwJuzw3k6.