Senate passes shared- services legislation

PROVIDENCE – The Senate last week passed two of six bills recommended by a commission studying the sharing of services among Rhode Island municipalities.
The bills were both sponsored by Sen. Louis P. DiPalma, D-Middletown, who led the commission last year. If passed, the legislation would put a nonbinding question on the next statewide ballot asking voters their opinion of increased sharing of services, as well as create a permanent legislative commission to continue work on promoting cooperation among municipalities. The bills will now be forwarded to the House.
The commission also recommended four other bills that DiPalma has introduced to pave the way for the sharing of services by creating a uniform system of financial record-keeping, enabling an organization to administer retiree benefits for schools and municipalities, and helping municipalities share individual employees. &#8226