Smithfield Voters OK Budget, Audit for School System, New Cop

Any budget story is, essentially, about numbers.

Here are some of the numbers from the June 14 Smithfield Financial Town Meeting:

• Budget: $63 million
• Municipal: $30.15 million
• Schools: $32.85 million
• Tax Rate: $17.52 per $1,000 [residential]
• Number in Attendance: 128
• Meeting Start: 7:07 pm
• Meeting End: 8:31 pm

[Read the live blog from the meeting here.]

Early on, the meeting seemed at risk of getting bogged down in parliamentary process, as three residents proposed motions on the budget offered by the town council:

• One by Peter Pare, to take $75,000 out of the recreation department's budget to prevent the installation of a new athletic facility to Deerfield Park;
• Another by Alfred Costantino, to approve the budget as it stood;
• and a third, by Tom Robitaille, to cut the police spending plan by $75,000 to prevent the department from hiring a new police officer.

Moderator Ralph Iannitelli sorted the motions, and allowed votes on Pare's and Robitaille's proposals before calling a voice vote on Costantino's offering.

At another point, Iannitelli apprently excused one of the designated vote-counters after several residents shouted that since he'd spoken on Pare's matter, he couldn't be "impartial."

After two tries, a hand-count of 70-28 preserved the rec budget.

Just past 8 pm, Robitaille's motion garnered 15 votes and failed.

On Costantino's proposal, which would also approve the plan to require a school performance audit on the extra $450,000, School Committee Chairman Richard Iannitelli asked for written copies of the motions that were being included — one of them being the council's audit plan.

He repeated his prior assertions that the council's language seemed vague in giving the council authority to "evaluate" the school district.

At 8:31, Moderator Iannitelli called for a voice vote on Costantino's motion.

Dozens of voices shouted 'aye;' none called 'nay.'

And in fewer than 90 minutes, the fiscal 2014 Town Financial Meeting ended.

Also approved as part of the budget vote were the town's three Enterprise Funds — operating accounts totalling $7.1 million for the sewer and water services and the municipal ice rink.

Watch the accompanying videos for more from the June 14 Town Financial Meeting.