[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6539342,"mediaKeyId","3650845-4ce0a448a755eedff9586d3999252ed9","parentId",3650845,"title","Contested personnel measures fail; voters approve general-government appropriations as presented","audioSeconds",3324,"startMs",5916000,"endMs",9240000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3650845-4ce0a448a755eedff9586d3999252ed9&start=5916&end=9240","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3650845-4ce0a448a755eedff9586d3999252ed9/thumbnail_5916000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6539342/Scituate/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Contested-personnel-measures-fail-voters-approve-general-government-appropriations-as-presented","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6539342-d23b97ca9cd65a2332e599d3b70239c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771102256&Signature=k4jyZlzo~1xHostwmAokaOwZ7F1bPEAiSEwJ90UWP2FeqJuQSEUPGY7LKWgSCeTptgwMU5vAE~GyNq2vg6tpIWLO8tG83q4PzZFL3lXGkvPUBOpTzZQgGhFRJmz9u3k~RAqfIl3VOFCEmaZaKNLbzUdNvY2VQnrz9dcjwJoctcBfyaBzB4Fb--Q1QzAczz6XtRo~V9mZdFwGCrFEs9tMNjrb3j1EjWKYrl4fOBj3UWv55i0uNn7VH5lltzrbRf~0DNoWAgCc1Qre2FtQl5XcK1KewJS34k3Xf0Md7zKBhVxL9gPA6vpyUrSDqEyRQZNlNZjzrB5maLmch9qAmAz2SA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Scituate Town Council","date","2025-06-04T14:33:13Z","article","Several contested personnel and benefits items drew lengthy debate at Scituate's financial town meeting. Residents proposed amendments affecting the elected town treasurer's pay, nonunion salary increases, a new code-enforcement position, and limits on health/dental opt-out credits for employees. After legal and procedural review and multiple voice- and standing votes, voters ultimately approved the general-government appropriation as presented and rejected or failed to enact the most restrictive personnel changes.

What happened

- Attempted condition on treasurer's pay: A resident moved an amendment to make payment of the town treasurer's salary contingent on the treasurer reporting to the town office a minimum number of hours; the moderator ruled that motion out of order after consulting the town solicitor, saying the assembly could not dictate an elected official's work conditions. The ruling was appealed and produced further discussion.

- Motion to reduce the treasurer's salary: A separate amendment to reduce the town treasurer's salary to $15,000 was moved and debated. The record of the meeting shows the amendment was adopted in an intermediate voice vote, but later procedural steps and a subsequent main-motion vote left item 7 (general government) approved as presented (i.e., without the proposed salary reduction). The moderator clarified that the final vote approved item 7 as presented.

- Health/dental opt-out cap: Another motion would have limited employee opt-out payments (the town's payment to employees who decline town coverage because they have alternative coverage) to a $400-per-month maximum and a $5,000 annual cap. The solicitor advised that changing personnel entitlements expressed in the employee handbook could not be accomplished simply by line-item language at the financial town meeting; the assembly considered but did not adopt a dollar reduction in the line item covering health/dental insurance. Item 8 (fixed charges, including benefits) was approved as presented.

- Nonunion raises and code-enforcement position: Residents proposed a 3% increase for nonunion employees and several reallocations intended to fund higher nonunion raises (including proposals to reduce or eliminate a proposed code-enforcement position). Some of those motions were withdrawn or defeated after participants and staff noted uncertainties about the dollar amounts and revenue impacts. Meeting participants and the treasurer discussed which line items would change if a position were removed; council staff noted code-enforcement revenue the town has collected recently would be affected if the position were not filled.

Why it matters: These proposals would have changed personnel pay or working conditions for town employees and an elected official and could have altered benefits practice. Moderator and solicitor guidance limited changes that would mandate conditions of employment or alter handbook-entitlement structures without a clearer legal path.

Quotes and tone

- Moderator Harry Hall said after consulting legal advice that a motion to impose work-condition requirements on an elected official \"is out of order\" because the assembly cannot dictate an elected official's duties.

- Resident proponents of tighter limits on opt-out payments argued the change would save taxpayer money; opponents and several speakers representing municipal management countered that the town benefits when employees opt out because the town reduces its premium exposure.

Result

- The assembly approved item 7 (general government) as presented in the budget after debate and an unsuccessful attempt to impose the treasurer-salary reduction as the prevailing main motion.

- Item 8 (fixed charges, including health/dental) was approved as presented; motions to decrease the line item or impose a per-employee cap did not pass in the form considered at the meeting.

Provenance

- Topic introduction: transcript block starting at 5916.61 (motion to condition treasurer salary introduced and ruled out of order).
- Topic finish: transcript block ending at 9244.89 (final approval of item 7 and item 8 and related discussion).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025 Financial Town Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Residents brought multiple motions to adjust employee pay and benefits and to condition the town treasurer's salary; the moderator and town solicitor limited changes that would impose employment conditions on an elected official, and the final votes left general-government and benefits line items as presented.","taxTitle","Scituate, Providence County, Rhode Island","taxId",79695,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6539347,"Scituate voters add $190,000 to school budget after parents warn positions would be cut",2879,2089000,4968000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3650845-4ce0a448a755eedff9586d3999252ed9&start=2089&end=4968","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3650845-4ce0a448a755eedff9586d3999252ed9/thumbnail_2089000.jpg","/articles/6539347/Scituate/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Scituate-voters-add-190000-to-school-budget-after-parents-warn-positions-would-be-cut","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6539347-b0b2dbd583486b2b5c2fd3d96c2e27e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771102256&Signature=ndGeraX0cmmdTqs8JxXZd~mqfjbkMmO~sn8UtD4dxpq5LJVYVQXHqm6Qj~GwdzWWdkvVCdgxsfycyRfb--9nWn-79a-geQGZLZHwoCY8O~o8exu7TBBZ7uUbr-mpi2P5NGlbHa09GOY3QQXizrkd8ImnQ4PO2ovo0f~igIWub62m182QeGVY2pHsZD54R3p8pCFYzFjpfP3FCbzUa5L3RZBMkJymE~zxWoGqjhbTpfDYfQa6Vxgd4lRO5Nx1fDIbka85Sif1Apx1kpue0qVS7YgNcqnRuN3HDN7c871imiW~XUpF~MIyFzPjdrGFl4medTIQpTnvi9pYie8xCY6UEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A motion to add $190,000 to the town's education appropriation passed at Scituate's financial town meeting after parents and other residents urged voters to restore positions they said the school committee's reduced ask had removed.

Mikayla Driscoll, who identified herself as a Hope Elementary parent, moved the amendment to increase item 2 (education) line 2-10 \"support of public education\" and to raise the town's use of applied fund balance from $148,182 to $338,182 to cover the increase. Michael Smith seconded the motion. Moderator Harry Hall read the motion to the assembly.

Why it matters: Voters directly increased the budget for the school department during the town meeting. Town Treasurer Ted warned that using fund balance to fill recurring operating needs \"does create a hole because that's going to be the starting point next year,\" and cautioned about how rating agencies view repeated draws on reserves.

Arguments for and against

- Supporters said the $190,000 would restore staffing the school committee had proposed and that without it Hope Elementary would lose a kindergarten and a second-grade teaching position. Parents described classroom-size and program needs: one parent said current class sizes at Hope included a first-grade class with 21 students and requested splitting a second-grade class into two sections of 10 and 11.

- Town Treasurer Ted said the town should use fund balance \"cautiously,\" noting rating agencies monitor trends. He quantified the general-fund balance as \"a little over $5,000,000\" at the end of the most recent audited fiscal year and said a recurring reliance on reserves would affect future budgets and possibly the town's bond rating.

Vote and procedure

- The motion was called and carried by a standing vote; the moderator announced the result as \"16 in favor out of 225 registered voters\" for that question. The assembly had earlier voted to consider the budget by the eight headline items; the education amendment was taken during item 2 discussion.

What the vote does and does not do

- The vote increases the appropriation for the school department by $190,000 for FY2025'26. The school committee retains statutory and managerial authority to allocate funds among positions and line items; voters and several speakers urged the school committee to allocate the newly approved funds to restore the two classroom positions at Hope Elementary.

Provenance

- Topic introduction: transcript block starting at 2089.14 (motion introduced by Mikayla Driscoll).
- Topic finish: transcript block ending at 4968.65 (standing vote tally announced).","At the financial town meeting residents approved a $190,000 addition to Scituate's education appropriation drawn from applied fund balance. Supporters said the money would restore teaching positions at Hope Elementary; the treasurer warned the change creates a hole next year that must be addressed.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":79,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":82,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6539353,"Scituate voters approve FY2025–26 budget items, $2.5 million fire-station bond and limits on fund-balance use",9381,11470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3650845-4ce0a448a755eedff9586d3999252ed9&start=2089&end=11470","/articles/6539353/Scituate/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Scituate-voters-approve-FY202526-budget-items-25-million-fire-station-bond-and-limits-on-fund-balance-use","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6539353-deb925dbb3172216240129e30740e7fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771102256&Signature=ocv6GLsXNEMs4QXGs49YcLVgJeWco-R1hx9GnETV~gqcxv0h7D-hMcX8m4vjCh-xWlCDCpoB00Zn~VT7CLnc74Uv9pnvoZI1VelhyPxsX~BNBk-9tS2b5BX~epp96FBge6JFY4S5UKZ3gCuWTsoMJabi4t4Hs6s8jxiNQi6L6pXIpGHLD08ZAoJ4f3MYdEw5pZNPHmq3dR7yS46Oy2Dvz3HeQAhgCtpqt8smVDU0uW74OWYC2nWXQiKgU2JLzdh1gF7bbLD0mst-sLAUy5LHPc9RjwW3-cH7~-wlhCNaET~YKGPxvexMgQhO8t7QY9U3k0tpgNc8Fi3d6WAh4LlZPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Scituate voters approved the town's proposed FY2025–26 municipal and school budget by voting on eight grouped appropriation items and passed several related resolutions, including authorization to pursue a $2.5 million bond for fire stations and a limit on the town's use of unassigned fund balance.

The meeting was presided over by Harry Hall, Town Moderator. Hall told the assembly the budget as mailed totaled $46,567,515 and said the tax rate \"if approved tonight, will reflect a 3.75 effective tax rate increase.\" Voters agreed to consider the budget as eight separate headline items rather than every individual line.

Why this matters: The votes approve the spending plan that sets municipal and school appropriations for the coming fiscal year, authorizes the town to seek debt for a fire-station project if matching funds and grants are secured, and places a new constraint on the council's ability to draw on unassigned fund balance during the year.

Most important outcomes

- Voters approved items 1 through 8 (debt service; education; public works; public safety; recreation and cultural services; social services; general government; fixed charges) after discussion on several line items and a standing vote on the procedural motion to vote item-by-item.

- A motion to add $190,000 to the education appropriation (see separate article) passed in a standing vote with a recorded tally of 16 in favor out of 225 registered voters present for that specific question.

- Voters authorized the town to issue up to $2,500,000 in bonds toward a fire-station and related equipment project; town officials said the authorization supports pursuing larger grant opportunities that require a local matching commitment.

- The assembly passed a resolution limiting the town council's ability to use unassigned general-fund balances: no more than $200,000 of unassigned fund balance may be used in FY2025–26 without voter approval at a financial town meeting.

Key debate points and supporting details

- Fund balance and tax impact: Town Treasurer Ted (last name not specified) warned that using fund balance to cover current-year shortfalls \"does create a hole because that's going to be the starting point next year\" and said rating agencies watch trends of consistent fund-balance draws. The treasurer said Scituate's general fund balance was \"a little over $5,000,000\" at the end of the last fiscal year.

- Libraries: Voters amended the recreation and cultural services item to equalize town funding between Hope Library and North Scituate Library. The amendment reallocated a small difference (about several hundred dollars) so each library would receive $322,711 under the approved budget.

- Process: The assembly debated procedure early in the meeting and voted to proceed by the eight headline items mailed with the warrant. Moderator Hall and the town clerk explained that individual line amendments were allowed during the discussion of each headline item, but the headline procedure would create a single vote for each of the eight categories.

Votes at a glance

- Procedural motion to vote headline items 1'8 separately: Standing vote; 40 in favor (standing vote called earlier in meeting) and motion carried to proceed item by item.
- Item 1 (Debt service): Approved (voice vote).
- Item 2 (Education): Motion to increase support-of-public-education line by $190,000 passed (standing vote; tally recorded 16 in favor out of 225 registered voters for that question). See separate article on this motion.
- Item 3 (Public works): Approved (voice vote).
- Item 4 (Public safety): Approved (voice vote).
- Item 5 (Recreation and cultural services): Approved as amended to equalize two libraries' allocations (voice vote amendment, then motion passed).
- Item 6 (Social services): Approved (voice vote).
- Item 7 (General government): After multiple amendments and debate, approved as presented (voice vote).
- Item 8 (Fixed charges, including health/dental): Approved as presented (voice vote).
- Resolution 1 (Borrowing in anticipation of taxes up to $3,000,000): Approved (voice vote).
- Resolution 2 (Disposition of collected back taxes): Approved (voice vote).
- Resolution 3 (Set tax rate): Approved (voice vote).
- Resolution 4 (Transfers among municipal accounts/line items): Approved (voice vote).
- Resolution 5 (Use of fund balances; limit to $200,000 without voter approval): Approved (voice vote).
- Resolution 6 (Authorize issuance of up to $2,500,000 bonds for a fire station and related equipment to support grant applications): Approved (voice vote).

What comes next

Town officials said the bond authorization is a step to qualify for larger state or federal grants that require local commitment; if grant funds are not secured, the town will not issue the full borrowing. Council and school leaders will implement the adopted appropriations and report as required during the fiscal year.

Provenance

- Topic introduction: transcript block starting at 124.935 (Moderator instructions, opening remarks and budget summary).
- Topic finish: transcript block ending at 11493.271 (close of meeting and final motions).","At Scituate’s financial town meeting voters approved the town's FY2025–26 budget in eight grouped items, authorized a $2.5 million bond request for fire stations, and passed a resolution limiting the use of unassigned fund balance; debates focused on school funding and use of reserves.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Contested personnel measures fail; voters approve general-government appropriations as presented

Scituate voters add $190,000 to school budget after parents warn positions would be cut

Scituate voters approve FY2025–26 budget items, $2.5 million fire-station bond and limits on fund-balance use