[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6573739,"mediaKeyId","3155036-e069223f11ccb89451a433a2509373dc","parentId",3155036,"title","Portsmouth council provisionally approves town department budgets; caps snow fund and directs surplus to paving","audioSeconds",4497,"startMs",3638000,"endMs",8135000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155036-e069223f11ccb89451a433a2509373dc&start=3638&end=8135","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155036-e069223f11ccb89451a433a2509373dc/thumbnail_3638000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6573739/Rhode-Island/Portsmouth-council-provisionally-approves-town-department-budgets-caps-snow-fund-and-directs-surplus-to-paving","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573739-37e26f53947e9faa12096543c706ad2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771025620&Signature=KkG4~UTnofHqxExHor6XXx7eTFM3voC7KOGwJjcA-UoYdCugYHSlUHRJWIoEk6bWH9AxI6u3lgjIAACVbFriM2XDXHIQFXHLu0IVf4ky5X9rIC9XzlQt4~yzHX3FWIIta0CazM1AYUegV8Zr~t7BTQBGP3x82WgOBDpjdb3-GTsydhWPHhGKz~tNNYYBz4D9mJawRAPy3W-YAUzK-DtWM2gmCEvfiUXQZgZBYLZoFPiQultYAHONhdoyN4XHKITPPqAFHKlzJgB3xYE0jTG9-FsbZWwSYgal4l2WfYL8g3y452lQpH5cgOZcZxbtKRP2o0gDDBoC9kOEwdOiUL3E6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Portsmouth","date","2025-04-30T01:43:21.887Z","article","PORTSMOUTH, R.I. — On April 29 the Portsmouth Town Council provisionally approved FY26 budgets for multiple town departments and took a separate vote to cap the town\u0000\u0000snow-removal reserve at $250,000, directing any excess to the road paving fund.

Highlights from the council\u0000\u0000session:

- Police: The council provisionally approved a police department budget of $8,512,203 (vote 7-0). Town officials said the increase (about 11.1%) is driven largely by a newly ratified 3-year collective bargaining agreement with the police union that includes a one-time $3,000 salary adjustment and a 5% general wage increase. The budget includes funding for personnel, patrol operations and planned records-management migration costs that will be one-time items during the transition.

- Fire: The main fire department budget was provisionally approved at $8,210,775 (vote 7-0). That total represents a small decrease (about 0.6%) from the prior year, the administration said, and absorbs positions previously funded by a SAFER grant into the general fund. The budget increases ambulance and medical-supply funding to support paramedic-level services and replaces turnout gear.

- Department of Public Works (DPW): The council provisionally approved the DPW budget at $3,410,225 (vote 7-0). The budget includes a shared facilities maintenance technician that the town and schools split 50/50, increased health-insurance costs and funding for equipment and tree maintenance.

- Other provisional approvals (each passed 7-0): Prudence Island public safety officer $132,019; Prudence Island Volunteer Fire Department $215,007; animal control $135,688; harbor master $135,615; Emergency Management $69,250; Prudence Island Transfer Station $127,237; snow removal $142,673; and a road improvement program budget of $1,170,000 (the town anticipates up to $184,211 in state reimbursement for eligible work).

Snow fund cap: The council voted 6-1 to cap the snow-removal reserve at $250,000 and to transfer any overage to the road paving fund after the annual audit (typically in February). Councilors said the restricted snow fund is intended to avoid ad-hoc transfers in years with heavy winter costs; the fund balance stood at roughly $232,592 on the night of the meeting and has fluctuated historically with major winters.

Recruitment and staffing: Town officials described staffing pressures in public safety. The police chief and town administration said recent contract increases have helped stabilize retention and improve recruitment; the police department said it had eight recent applicants for openings but noted that recruitment remains difficult statewide. The council discussed the possibility of civilianized or retired-officer SRO models to reduce strain on patrol staffing without eliminating school resource coverage.

What this means: The provisional approvals keep the FY26 spending plan moving through the municipal budget process. Most votes were unanimous; the only divided vote was the snow-fund cap (6-1). Several budgets reflect wage adjustments under negotiated contracts and higher health-insurance or pension costs.

Next steps: Provisional approvals give departments ability to plan for FY26 and allow staff to proceed with procurement and staffing decisions that depend on funding certainty. Final adoption follows the town\u0000\u0000budget calendar and may be affected by state aid, grant awards, or further council action.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","04/29/2025 Town Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The council gave provisional approval to multiple departmental budgets including police, fire, DPW and public safety, and voted 6-1 to cap the snow reserve at $250,000 and transfer any excess to the road paving account.","taxTitle","Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island","taxId",79583,"location","Rhode Island","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6573743,"Portsmouth council provisionally approves $39.4 million school appropriation after budget presentation",1355,178000,1533000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155036-e069223f11ccb89451a433a2509373dc&start=178&end=1533","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155036-e069223f11ccb89451a433a2509373dc/thumbnail_178000.jpg","/articles/6573743/Rhode-Island/Portsmouth-council-provisionally-approves-394-million-school-appropriation-after-budget-presentation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573743-bfc87624328199363d289bb00e82a170/orig.mp4?Expires=1771025620&Signature=P5dInlMoJCL5vW0N~Qdi338lR29C3lcBtGcl36JCiieipaBVP~RnrM7vOdFCV0AgJAp6zKG-JM1yAQY~~P0iI8LlAVwzJPfukOVSs8i~AQFXoe0ZWtX8mxvsJzp79MWlMGQo7MlCnmj72nj2nMyqi~GnikEFThXBdux4k96DH1lkGjN8NnbYUFY4OZ4yDk~ExSqE~3x8Hq9fM6f3KnXNXWJnN2DKcwU4dHlDzEdTy8eGJgcEpIOVGNoVi9yMdAIzfHvifR9RMhccP9RP~i4~jAk~GHIBUDI8nVpqOpbFTfeeTCLBXnzLb7LTqtphes3YnCRoRwhj1nLK24U8gI~9xQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","PORTSMOUTH, R.I. — The Portsmouth Town Council provisionally approved a $39,407,902 town appropriation for the Portsmouth School Department for fiscal year 2026 after a presentation by district leaders on April 29.

Superintendent Dr. Kenworthy led the school department\u0000\u0000presentation and said the appropriation is part of a total school department budget of $48,232,127 and total requested expenditures of $46,203,127. \"I can assure you that this is a fiscally responsible budget and that $39,407,902 is needed from the town in order to support our District's FY26 budget and our 5 star journey,\" Dr. Kenworthy said during the presentation.

The school leaders framed the request as an investment in educational quality and town property values. Finance director Chris DiOro summarized key numbers: overall expenditures are budgeted to rise 3.4% to $46,203,127; employee compensation is up about $495,000 (1.9%); benefits are rising about 5.4% (roughly $498,000), driven chiefly by higher health premiums and increased pension contributions; and other purchased services are up about $479,000 largely because of transportation and out-of-district special-education tuition costs. DiOro told the council total local revenues are projected to grow 3.8% and the governor's recommended state aid for Portsmouth is $3,590,725, subject to final action by the General Assembly.

The district said it reduced staffing by 2.4 full-time equivalents in the proposed budget, in addition to 7.2 FTEs reduced in the prior year\u0000\u0000for a two-year net reduction of 9.6 positions. Deputy Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Viveiros described growth in the district\u0000\u0000career and technical education (CTE) program: Portsmouth expects 77 out-of-district CTE students in 2025-26 and projects $1,232,000 in CTE tuition revenue that helps offset local budget pressures.

Superintendent Kenworthy and DiOro also referenced emergency work already funded, including the Portsmouth High School roof, for which the council previously approved use of $572,000 in impact fees and $890,000 from town fund balance.

A member of the public, Emily Skian, a Portsmouth School Committee member who spoke as a resident, challenged the council to consider raising local contributions to schools. \"Portsmouth needs to increase its local contributions to schools to keep up with the rising cost of education and ensure local revenue is fairly distributed,\" Skian said, citing a Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) analysis she presented.

Kenworthy noted a separate state-level legal development: the Rhode Island Department of Education and the state attorney general have joined a multistate lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education that, according to the superintendent, could affect about $116 million in federal funds statewide; Portsmouth receives a little over $2 million that flows through the state from that federal funding stream.

The council voted 7-0 to provisionally accept the local appropriation of $39,407,902 and later voted 7-0 to provisionally approve the school department\u0000\u0000total budget of $48,232,127. Council members did not change line items in the presentation during the meeting; the votes were recorded as provisional approvals pending the usual budget adoption steps.

Why it matters: The school appropriation is the largest single line in Portsmouth's municipal spending; the town appropriation requested for FY26 represents roughly 55% of the town's overall proposed operating budget, according to presenters. The school administration said the request aims to preserve educational programs and to cover rising mandatory costs for health care, transportation and special-education placements while continuing to pursue revenue from CTE tuition and other outside sources.

What\u0000happens next: The provisional council approvals allow the administration and school department to continue through the municipal budget schedule; state aid and federal funding outcomes could still change before final town adoption. The presentation and the council action set the FY26 school appropriation and put the council on record supporting the school committee-approved request.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to provisionally accept the town appropriation of $39,407,902 for the Portsmouth School Department for FY26: passed 7-0.
- Motion to provisionally approve the Portsmouth School Department's total FY26 budget of $48,232,127: passed 7-0.

(Details on motion wording and mover/second were not specified in the public transcript.)

","After a presentation from district leaders, the Portsmouth Town Council provisionally approved the school department\u0000\u0000appropriation of $39,407,902 for FY26 and the department\u0000\u0000budget overall, citing stable revenue projections and increased costs for health care, transportation and special education.","actionData","errors"]

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Portsmouth council provisionally approves town department budgets; caps snow fund and directs surplus to paving

Portsmouth council provisionally approves $39.4 million school appropriation after budget presentation