To the editor:

This letter is to address the pending financial crisis in Warren. This will also affect Bristol as Warren cannot fulfill its responsibility to fund the new school project.

Several members of our community have highlighted the financial concerns Warren is facing but it does not seem that our Town Council is taking it as seriously as would be expected. The last TC meeting resulted in no budget cuts and a recommendation that the Town simply increase the tax rate by 5.7%. This is over the State mandate of 4%. It isn’t likely the State will allow for such an increase based on we aren’t cutting our budget. Joseph DePasquale was the only dissenting vote and it passed 3-1 as one member was absent.

At last evening's school committee meeting, Perkins Eastman (the school district’s project manager) gave a presentation as to how the project is moving along. Thousands and possibly millions of dollars are currently being spent on design, permitting, and planning for a building that our Town cannot currently afford. And no one even mentions it.
Warren does have some options:

• Push off building the new school for 2 to 3 years so that Warren can pay off the current bonds as well as the lawsuit.
• Not build the school and just maintain the current building.
• Change Warren’s tax code to incorporate a 2-tiered collection: 1-4 family residences and commercial.
• Sell assets held by Warren. Land and buildings

It is time for our Council to work on behalf of the people of Warren to solve our problems long-term.

Brian Mellor
Warren