Home Economy Providence City Council approves $598M fiscal 2025 budget

Providence City Council approves $598M fiscal 2025 budget

By

Christopher Allen

-

06/21/2024

thumbnail_IMG_3941 — THE PROVIDENCE CITY COUNCIL on Thursday approved a $598 million budget for fiscal 2025 that begins July 1. Two votes are required before final passage.Pictured from left are council members Helen Anthony and Pedro Espinal. /PBN SCREENSHOT

PROVIDENCE- The City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a $598 million budget for fiscal year 2025 that begins July 1. The budget requires two approvals before passage and the council is tentatively scheduled to take up its second vote on June 25, according to a council press release. The revised spending plan includes investments in

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PROVIDENCE- The City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a $598 million budget for fiscal year 2025 that begins July 1. The budget requires two approvals before passage and the council is tentatively scheduled to take up its second vote on June 25, according to a council press release. The revised spending plan includes investments in housing, public safety, climate change, and an additional $5.5 million in funding for the Providence Public School system, which would see $135.5 million, the largest increase in 15 years. Mayor Brett P. Smiley had proposed $133 million for the school district during his annual budget address. City Councilwoman and Finance Committee Chairperson Helen Anthony said the committee held two public hearings on the budget, which she characterized as “lean" and including amendments that would not "significantly impact the budget of other departments." The budget includes no property tax hikes but ends the homestead exemption, replacing it with a new owner-occupied property tax rate, which would be set at $10.46 per $1,000 of assessed value. Non-owner-occupied and commercial tax rates would be $18.35 per $1,000 and $35.10 per $1,000, respectively. The amended budget increased the projected city tax collections by 0.25% and involves savings from vacant city positions. Other budget items include additional staff to the Municipal Court including a bilingual clerk and public defender; $136,000 for a new sewer team to rapidly clear storm drains during flash floods; funding for a new police academy in May 2025; and a grant for $125,000 to create green spaces and accessible transportation routes along the Woonasquatucket Rivershed Greenway. Senior Deputy Majority Leader John Goncalves called the revised budget "a testament to our shared vision as a city." In other matters, the council rejected a proposal by a 10-4 vote to lease Carl G. Lauro Elementary School to two charter schools. Smiley had proposed a $1 per year 30-year lease to Achievement First Rhode Island Inc. and Excel Academy Rhode Island. Council President Rachel Miller in a statement said the council was against “turning over a beloved community school in Federal Hill to charter schools, which would have deepened the education divide.” “We can work together to form better solutions for our students, their families, and our dedicated teachers,” she said. Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.