Chafee staffer appointed receiver for Central Coventry Fire District

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee and R.I. Director of Revenue Rosemary Booth Gallogly on Tuesday appointed a receiver for the Central Coventry Fire District as the district prepares to liquidate its assets later this month.

The Central Coventry Fire District has been under court supervision since October 2012, with Richard J. Land as the court-appointed special master overseeing the district’s finances. The decision to appoint a receiver follows Superior Court Judge Brian P. Stern’s order on Feb. 12 that the district liquidate its assets by May 16 to pay its creditors.

Steven Hartford, the newly appointed receiver for the Central Coventry Fire District, will be on loan from the governor’s office and will work with the finance and legal professionals at the R.I. Department of Revenue to develop a five-year plan for the district that addresses its accumulated debts, Gallogly said.

“This is a critical public safety issue, and I feel strongly that Steve will act swiftly in this effort to stabilize the Central Coventry Fire District,” said Chafee in a statement. “He has been working with the fire district for the past three months, and he understands the issues. He is an attorney, and he recently was the manager of a large municipality.”

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Prior to his work as a policy director in the governor’s office, Hartford served as the Westerly town manager.

“I am ready to take on this challenge, and I am prepared to devote the necessary time to see this through to a successful conclusion,” said Hartford. “This issue is an important one for the governor, and I appreciate that the governor has confidence in me.”

Hartford will not earn any additional reimbursement for his role as receiver, and he will continue to be paid from the Office of the Governor’s budget, according to a release from Chafee’s office.

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