Only 31 Attend Financial Town Meeting; 2014 Budget Passes By Default

It's quite possible there were more nonresidents than residents at Tuesday night's annual Financial Town Meeting at the high school. Across the border in Coventry that same night, more than 300 voters showed up to their FTM. Not in East Greenwich, where a mere 31 registered voters were present (including this resident/reporter).

The auditorium looked more crowded than that because all the town department heads were present, as were several police and fire officers – most of whom do not live in town.

In Coventry, there was yelling and an hour's worth of public comment. In East Greenwich, no one asked any questions after school and town budgets were presented. The budget passed without a vote. By Town Charter, the budget passes as presented if there is no quorum (250 registered EG voters).

This was the first year the fire budget was included in the town budget, following passage of legislation in May abolishing the 216-year-old EG Fire District to make way for a town fire department.

The budget for Fiscal Year 2014, which begins July 1, is $58 million, up from $50.7 million in 2013. 

That big increase is due, primarily, to adding the fire-and-rescue budget to the town budget. The new "fire department" budget line is $3.7 million. The EGFD budget for FY 2013 was $5.5 million. The town has absorbed additional EGFD costs into other line items, most significantly employee benefits, which went from $2.9 million in 2013 to $5 million in 2014. 

The new tax rate will be $22.94 per $1,000 of assessed property value, up 70 cents over the current year's tax rate of $22.24 – that's combining the town's $20.14 tax rate and the now-defunct EG Fire District's $2.10 tax rate.

For a house valued at $400,000, this means a $9,176 tax bill next year, as compared to $8,896 tax bill this year – an increase of $280.

Now, about that tax bill. 

Currently, taxpayers must pay their property tax bill by the 15th of the month. However, since the 15th sometimes falls on a weekend or a holiday. According to Town Manager Bill Sequino, that has caused confusion. To alleviate that confusion, property taxes are now due by the 10th business day of the month, starting in July.

That means in July, property taxes are due on July 12. In August, property taxes are due on Aug. 16 (Victory Day is Aug. 12). Confused? It may take a few months before we are all on board, but, said Sequino, the intent was to lessen the confusion.