R.I. Senate Passes EGFD Takeover Bill

It's all over but the governor's signature. And possibly another quick vote or two in the General Assembly. Depends who you talk to. What's known for sure is the state Senate passed 35-0 legislation that would abolish the East Greenwich Fire District and make way for a town fire department.

That follows a similar outcome in the state House last week. The bills are identical, with no traditional "reconciling" to be done. Still, there are two bills. The governor will sign only one. Which one? 

But that is a parlor game. The fact is, sometime soon, Gov. Chafee will very much more than likely sign into law a bill calling for the 216-year-old East Greenwich Fire District to cease to exist. 

That all this takes place just as the budget for fiscal year 2014 is up for debate complicates matters a bit. But Town Manager Bill Sequino and his staff has been talking to Fire Chief Peter Henrikson and other members of the Fire District staff. 

Work on that Fire District budget began officially last week, when Fire Chief Peter Henrikson unveiled the 2014 budget plan. The $5.6 million budget calls for a $2.15 tax rate per $1,000 assessed value, 5 cents above the current year tax rate of $2.10. On a house assessed at $400,000, that would mean a fire tax bill of $1,860. 

If Chafee signs the EGFD legislation into law, what happens then? The town has until May 15 (next Wednesday) to approve a budget for the Financial Town Meeting. If Chafee signs the bill into before that, the town will most likely just add on the Fire District budget for the coming fiscal year.

Fire District Commissioners already took out the budget items Sequino said he was immediately interested in cutting: line items for the accountant and the lawyer. The Town of East Greenwich has a finance director on staff and already pays for lawyer Peter Clarkin to handle all its legal duties. It's unclear whether Clarkin will seek additional money for the additional work.

The Town Council meets again on Monday, May 13. The East Greenwich Fire District is slated to meet again on Thursday, May 16.