PROVIDENCE – Voters in 11 Rhode Island communities signed off on nearly $800 million in bonds for various projects, including housing, school construction and renovations and capital projects, in their respective cities and towns in Tuesday’s general election.
One East Bay town did say no on a multimillion-dollar bond question to install new artificial turf on local athletic fields and at the town’s middle school.
On Tuesday, voters in Providence once again approved significant money to be put toward school infrastructure. A $400 million school facility upgrades bond was overwhelmingly approved 87.9% to 12.1%.
According to an April letter to R.I. House Committee on Finance Chairperson Rep. Marvin Abney, D-Newport, Mayor Brett P. Smiley wrote that the new funds would implement the next phase of the Providence Public School District’s capital plan to either build new or renovate existing city schools. By 2029, PPSD, Smiley wrote, will have 28 school buildings, an early childhood center and room to add student capacity across the district by 2,900 with the investment in school infrastructure.
In the two previous election cycles, voters in Rhode Island’s capital city approved a combined $265 million in bonds to improve city schools.
In North Kingstown, voters approved two bond questions totaling $197 million for both school upgrades and building new public safety complexes in town. Close to 58% of voters in town said yes to a $137.2 million bond to replace the aging Wickford Middle School and renovate Davisville Middle School.
Additionally, 60.8% of North Kingstown voters approved a $60 million bond to build a new public safety complex in Quonset Point and a new fire station on Kingstown Road in town.
This was a reverse from two years ago when
North Kingstown voters said no to bonds on addressing Wickford and Davisville middle schools and public safety complexes. Back then, the proposal was building a consolidated middle school to replace the aging Wickford and Davisville middle schools and a new public safety complex to replace the current facility on Post Road.
In Newport, 71.7% of voters signed off on a $98.5 million municipal facility upgrades bond to make capital fixes in the city. The lion’s share of that bond – $47 million – will be used for a new location for the cramped city yard and utilities offices, which some offices were displaced by the new Newport Pell Bridge ramps according to the state.
The bond also includes $12 million for demolishing the carousel and snack bar buildings and replenishing sand at Easton’s Beach, $12 million to replace the Perrotti Park bulkhead and $5 million to cover the city’s share of the Cliff Walk repairs.
Voters in Barrington, though, rejected a $4.5 million bond to install new artificial turf on various athletic fields and at Barrington Middle School. Previously published reports stated that town officials supported the bond as it would have addressed longstanding poor field conditions in town. Detractors said the artificial surfaces would have caused environmental and health problems.
Other local bonds that were approved Tuesday in cities and towns across the state were:
- Central Falls: A $26 million bond to address school construction and renovations
- Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton: A $15 million bond to renovate the Chariho Regional School District’s Switch Road campus
- Johnston: A $40 million bond to make upgrades to stormwater and sewer infrastructure across town
- Narragansett: A $3 million bond to construct affordable housing in town
- New Shoreham: A $1 million bond to purchase a portable fire pump and tow vehicle
- Westerly: A $18 million bond to make improvements to local sidewalks
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.
