[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",6466934,"mediaKeyId","5812002-bf28ecec9f68310b99d8a93e2bbe1694","parentId",5812002,"title","Council questions city’s change to ‘gross’ accounting in firefighter term‑life contract; finance committee moves item to council","audioSeconds",3090,"startMs",2483000,"endMs",5573000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5812002-bf28ecec9f68310b99d8a93e2bbe1694&start=2483&end=5573","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5812002-bf28ecec9f68310b99d8a93e2bbe1694/thumbnail_2483000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6466934/Warwick-City/Kent-County/Rhode-Island/Council-questions-citys-change-to-gross-accounting-in-firefighter-termlife-contract-finance-committee-moves-item-to-council","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6466934-5e240b6ed161b73745d69993dc4c8ff1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771009900&Signature=oK~kDh6vxgo10SDw0m9C4wFHD~RUOfSW98CvTsj0wbBTYvWhX5tTWrhY2YtCPbHmGZGtfG5m8ttGWeCx7lixKqtVo--rZlB05numKiEOVa4hf-v6LXZ655Tx3QPGrnXEo5rSkKSbjyow7EfGZgvNpKjDFjA7QRalygFBzibWwUxr4LXLmnA7iBEca4Nmb0~ssuPB06ciuKKsU0oeD30JGklfTGS07PtyW9artOb6yAzih97-qMn4W-f5iBnKVLcuRNVIh841YucmWZ5aNrbSrLUJv1IIR8ImnubIHRkwcc~iLOV8iHHMi9jSEyuF9e7IgG1cu83HZXy1FC3nYqEEJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Warwick","date","2025-09-23T04:13:31.53Z","article","The city’s personnel director and purchasing director defended a three‑year renewal of the municipal term‑life insurance contract at a finance committee meeting Wednesday while councilors pressed for clearer disclosure about how the city reports the cost.

Personnel Director Steven Rotondo told the committee the city had negotiated a three‑year rate freeze with Securian for basic and optional life benefits for active employees; the only increase the department could not freeze was for retired firefighters’ basic life insurance. \"This is a three‑year freeze. Our rates aren’t going up,\" Rotondo said, characterizing the outcome of negotiations.

Change from net to gross presentation: The major point of contention arose from a change in how the administration presented the spending authority. Historically, the city had shown net costs in spending requests — the expected city outlay after reimbursements from retirees and employees who buy supplemental coverage. Purchasing Director Frances Gomez told councilors the purchasing division recommended showing the gross vendor amount to request spending authority, so the council would authorize the full sum the city might pay before reimbursements arrive. As Gomez explained: \"Best practice is to ask the council for a spending authority. So we're asking for the council for the spending authority for 3 years…that's why I suggested to go with the gross so that way they are covered even if we get reimbursements that will show up later afterwards.\"

Numbers and the council reaction: Council members compared previously presented net numbers with the new gross figures and expressed confusion. Councilors said they had expected the budget presentation to match the net figures in the budget package. A councilor who reviewed the numbers said the previous three‑year award had been shown as $133,593 (net) and the new three‑year gross presentation totaled $369,333, and asked why the change had not been disclosed up front. Rotondo said the city expects to be fully reimbursed for retiree premiums — roughly $191,000 over the three‑year term — and that the gross presentation followed purchasing’s guidance.

Committee outcome and follow‑up: After lengthy questioning, the finance committee ultimately voted to move the item to the full council without a recommendation. Several councilors said they would prefer to hold the item for one meeting to review the contract language and the breakdown between gross and net budgeting; others pressed staff to provide clearer documentation showing what the city would actually pay net of reimbursements and how reimbursement flows are tracked in city accounts.

What the administration said it would do: Purchasing Director Gomez told the committee she would include clearer spending‑source statements in future bid packages and that the finance office was auditing the reimbursements and their accounting paths. Rotondo said the city had frozen the employer cost for the active population but could not freeze retiree payments, which are reimbursed by retirees themselves and vary with the retiree census.

Ending: The committee’s move to send the item to the floor without a recommendation leaves the decision to the full council; councilors requested clearer, line‑by‑line net vs. gross documentation and copies of relevant contract language for firefighter retiree reimbursements before a final decision.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Warwick City Council Meeting - 9.22.25","oneSentenceSummary","The city sought a three‑year renewal of its municipal term‑life insurance agreement, but councilors pressed officials over a change in how the city is presenting spending authority — showing the gross vendor total rather than the prior net figure after expected reimbursements.","taxTitle","Warwick City, Kent County, Rhode Island","taxId",4566,"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},6466940,"Warwick council debates purchase of 8 police vehicles; finance committee moves item to full council and council holds approval",944,666000,1610000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5812002-bf28ecec9f68310b99d8a93e2bbe1694&start=666&end=1610","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5812002-bf28ecec9f68310b99d8a93e2bbe1694/thumbnail_666000.jpg","/articles/6466940/Warwick-City/Kent-County/Rhode-Island/Warwick-council-debates-purchase-of-8-police-vehicles-finance-committee-moves-item-to-full-council-and-council-holds-approval","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6466940-7d7c04d7e97277c801dd6daaf29ed0f9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771009900&Signature=LmB3Oq5bfx0cl2nwMIScEtz57ErSMkLajCJl3RzNGM8tZqBU6V4QucckX6y-P9UCbVxEgAHGdTXNf9CcF3HAzKF1Mn11fBRKBX0TKGePKz-ej18G5oEq04kSUN-uV6bpzDFmLqtryUF7QoAqqnBnGOmdLsli-lSuq0i~IY27IswTFBI4GdmNtzF0vXDELw08uHpIuM3w~Nta6StDGtUNk~9pfDHHXV~yJsNYTJn-hDaMcxdQM4KdGfgRA8XRbNQQi565m45czGGsjrI32aoiVaAcq9o8PYKYg5K~BfkQUlxxPgcJy6xOcUAeWAZ5FeLU7YnBqxtpa84rCjqvGj05tA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Warwick finance committee and later the full city council debated a request by the police department for eight in‑stock police vehicles that the department says are ready for upfitting and deployment.

The department presented the request as a capital‑budget purchase that replaces worn vehicles. “The vehicles are in stock on the lot, but they have to be upfitted,” Police Major Robert Hart told the committee, explaining that lights, cages and other equipment must be installed. He told councilors the vehicles would be funded through city lease purchase funds.

Several council members pushed back on the timing and scale of the replacement. “This spending bleed has got to stop,” Councilman N. Lattice said during the finance committee debate, arguing the city was purchasing too many vehicles in the fiscal year.

Finance committee action: The finance committee did not reach a consensus recommendation and the committee’s solicitor advised that, without a committee recommendation, the item would move to the full council with no recommendation. The committee advanced the request to the council for a full vote.

Full council vote and outcome: Councilors reconsidered the purchase at the full council meeting. Amendments proposed to reduce the number of vehicles (first to four and then to six) failed after roll‑call votes. A motion to approve the eight vehicles did not reach the required support on the council (the roll call returned five votes in favor and four opposed) and the motion failed. Councilors then moved to hold the item for further consideration at the next available meeting.

What was at stake and evidence presented: Major Hart said the vehicles were on dealers’ lots and priced under cooperative purchasing agreements; one earlier quote for a similar fleet package had included upfitting and totaled $524,892.56 for a set of vehicles the department described at committee. Supporters said replacing worn vehicles reduces in‑service failures and maintenance costs and improves public safety reliability; opponents said the city should step back and reduce capital outlays because of broader fiscal pressures, including school budget shortfalls discussed earlier in the meeting.

Next steps: The council held the item for a subsequent meeting to allow further review. Commissioners and administration representatives who manage fleet replacement told councilors they would be prepared to present more detail on the department’s fleet plan, vehicle lifecycles and the potential cost difference if the city waits or has vehicles rebid.

Provenance: The finance‑committee introduction and technical details appear when the police department presented “2026212, purchase 8 police vehicles.” The finance committee advised the item would proceed to the floor with no recommendation. The council later debated the request and the roll‑call action and final hold were recorded in the council session transcription.

Ending: Councilors agreed to revisit the request at a later meeting after additional details and clarifications are supplied by fleet managers and department leadership.","The finance committee advanced a request from the police department to buy eight in‑stock patrol vehicles to the full council without a committee recommendation after councilors clashed over fleet spending. A later council vote failed and the item was held for a future meeting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6466945,"Warwick school budget oversight commission finds weak internal controls, $2.18 million shortfall and urges policy changes",4958,6286000,11244000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5812002-bf28ecec9f68310b99d8a93e2bbe1694&start=6286&end=11244","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5812002-bf28ecec9f68310b99d8a93e2bbe1694/thumbnail_6286000.jpg","/articles/6466945/Warwick-City/Kent-County/Rhode-Island/Warwick-school-budget-oversight-commission-finds-weak-internal-controls-218-million-shortfall-and-urges-policy-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6466945-ce89fff7e33a241085bb37d7e1e2d183/orig.mp4?Expires=1771009900&Signature=edv2c9KKEXDGczBK-WyWBC-diT~mxT6cy1STA-NfEkvhDTQ-Ngk0yDoarheIBQBPV8P4PzujEmenhdZvkVVi1XR4zXt-RDuw-GUgP~~6P~syae6hnqSCOn97pV3zawkeDw4jfUlgCYpLQtIejJx~2BLCIahGnhenYJH8NfgTVkJYbZyfWuUhTVuUjDarsPGWUQOwP9DmUhMk0FKa~CXHDaP67PUs6dRdyYClK28JQN7yfYv19dbC4siBnUCXRBJMuuV1p0b15d1idYbtAI3jNnSHARjnfv4Z9i66fm2kSlaYs-kSUsaa3dkGz11cwe4uCINPSiEQZjzt8pyczI1yzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A volunteer School Budget Oversight Commission told the Warwick City Council on Wednesday that it found weak internal controls, payroll reconciliation errors and a recurring shortfall that together left the school department with an estimated $2,181,388 deficit for fiscal 2026.

The commission’s chairman, Ernie Almonte, and vice chair Sherry Kuntz presented five months of review and recommended immediate policy and reporting changes to avoid future surprises. “At the end of that process, that resulted in approximately $5,000,000 in additional compensation and related expenses that needed to be added to the fiscal 26 budget,” Kuntz said, describing a reconciliation between HR and payroll listings that uncovered missing payroll-related costs.

The panel said the largest problems were not a single bad decision but systemic: inconsistent payroll reconciliations, poor position control for grant-funded staff, and insufficient budget-to-actual reporting. Those areas together, the commission said, can hide multi-million-dollar timing differences and lead to recurring deficits.

Why it matters: Payroll and personnel-related costs account for roughly 80% of the school department’s budget, the commission said; small data errors or missed reconciliations in those lines quickly escalate into large budget gaps. The panel recommended establishing and enforcing written policies, routine reconciliations, clearer grant‑position tracking and standardized, timely budget-to-actual reports so leaders can spot problems months earlier.

What the commission found and recommended
- Payroll and position control: Commission members said they found that HR and payroll rosters did not match, and that lack of a reconciled, single source of truth contributed directly to a $5 million adjustment in the fiscal 2026 figures. The panel recommended a dedicated position‑control process that is reconciled at regular intervals and signed off by finance and HR.
- Grants and grant-funded staff: The commission reported that grant funds and the personnel they pay were not always tracked together, leading to continuing positions after a grant expired and producing unplanned permanent costs. Kuntz said the finance director and superintendent have begun building a central spreadsheet that lists each grant, its amount, expiration and whether it funds a position.
- Budget-to-actual reporting: The commission urged regular, line‑by‑line budget-to-actual reporting that shows prior-year activity, current-year spending and remaining balances. The commission said current reports were insufficiently detailed to enable early corrective action.
- Technology spending review: Commissioners noted Warwick’s technology spending was higher than peer districts and recommended a subscription‑management review and audit of software overlap and underused licenses.

One‑time fixes and future risks
Almonte said the city used one‑time insurance fund reserves — $2 million — and opioid settlement funds in the current cycle to reduce the immediate shortfall. He warned, however, that one‑time credits do not address structural problems: “This is recurring expenses and using one‑time money to do that,” Almonte said. The commission highlighted a separate, larger prior shortfall of roughly $5 million from fiscal 2025 that will also need to be addressed in coming years.

Next steps
The commission asked the school finance office to produce a formal five‑year plan and said it expects to vote formally on a set of recommended financial policies at an upcoming meeting. The commission also said it supports a performance audit on strategic questions — class sizes, building utilization and program needs — so that any changes (for example, redistricting or program consolidation) would be grounded in outside analysis.

Quotes and attribution: Vice Chair Sherry Kuntz summarized the problem bluntly: “When internal controls are weak or missing, staff are left without the tools they need to manage public resources effectively and transparently.” Chairman Ernie Almonte told the council the commission had found “numerous hours” of staff work and that newly engaged finance leadership enabled the panel to complete its review.

What the council heard next: Councilors asked for documents and for the commission to verify that proposed policy changes are implemented and visible to council members. The panel said it will continue to monitor implementation and provide quarterly updates.

Context and limits: The commission’s work did not change collective‑bargaining provisions or make unilateral staffing decisions; commissioners said their remit and state law limited direct changes to salaries and bargaining agreements. The commission’s recommendations focus on policies, reconciliations and reporting rather than contract terms.

Ending note: The commission said it would provide a formal policy package and the first draft of a five‑year plan to the council for review, and urged staff to prioritize reconciliations and grant‑tracking to avoid repeat deficits.","A five-member commission reviewing Warwick Public Schools’ finances reported a $2.18 million shortfall for fiscal 2026, identified gaps in payroll reconciliation and grant tracking, and urged stronger internal controls, regular reporting and a five‑year plan to correct recurring deficits.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council questions city’s change to ‘gross’ accounting in firefighter term‑life contract; finance committee moves item to council

Warwick council debates purchase of 8 police vehicles; finance committee moves item to full council and council holds approval

Warwick school budget oversight commission finds weak internal controls, $2.18 million shortfall and urges policy changes