Foster council adopts FY2025-26 budget, approves contracts and a revenue-sharing resolution; recreation resignations accepted

The Foster Town Council on April 10 approved the town’s fiscal year 2025–26 budget, adopted a resolution asking the Rhode Island General Assembly to restore general revenue sharing to cities and towns, awarded multi-year service contracts for refuse and animal control, authorized the town clerk to advertise for a deputy town clerk, approved a beer tent at Old Home Days and accepted two resignations from the Recreation Committee.

The council voted to adopt the FY2025–26 budget as presented at the meeting, including capital, with a total listed during the discussion as $18,214,541 and a separate land-trust capital allocation of $110,000 to be considered at the financial town meeting. Council members discussed that the budget reflects a recommended 3.38% increase in the tax levy as presented at the public hearing; council members noted changes since the budget workshop included increases to refuse removal, animal control and a $5,000 increase for South Foster Fire Company.

The council also adopted “Resolution 2025-02: Resolution of the Town of Foster regarding the restoration of general revenue sharing to cities and towns,” a formal request that the General Assembly and governor reinstate statewide revenue sharing for all 39 cities and towns. The resolution text read in the meeting cites past suspensions of revenue sharing (2009), recent state surpluses, and says reinstatement would help reduce the inflationary burden on local taxpayers.

On contracts, the council approved a three-year refuse/recycling contract with Ramboum Disposal (the lone bidder received) with pricing described in the meeting as $359,920 for year 1, $374,316 for year 2 and $389,289 for year 3, a three-year total of $1,123,525. Councilors noted the year‑one increase was large compared with prior budgets and that refuse costs drove a significant portion of the departmental increase.

The council approved a three-year contract for animal control services with Scituate Animal Control for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2028. The contract as discussed adds $3,000 per year to the vendor’s fee (the figures cited in the meeting were $53,000 for year 1, $56,000 for year 2 and $59,000 for year 3); the council noted the town has budgeted the increase.

Other formal actions approved by voice vote included: authorizing the town clerk to advertise the deputy town clerk position in appropriate media; allowing a beer tent at Old Home Days (the vendor named in meeting materials was Trinity Brewhouse, which has a state liquor license); and accepting resignations from Recreation Committee members Danielle Scott and Elaine Gugliotti. The council also voted to move the Scituate animal-control contract discussion out of executive session and to consider it in open session prior to approval.

Votes at a glance (as recorded on April 10, voice votes unless noted): - Resolution 2025-02 (restore general revenue sharing): motion adopted (voice vote; no roll-call tally recorded in the meeting transcript). - FY2025–26 budget and land-trust capital forward to financial meeting ($18,214,541 total; land-trust capital $110,000): motion adopted (voice vote). - Refuse/recycling contract — Ramboum Disposal (three-year contract, total $1,123,525): motion adopted (voice vote). - Animal-control contract — Scituate Animal Control (07/01/2025–06/30/2028): motion adopted (voice vote). - Authorize town clerk to advertise deputy town clerk position: motion adopted (voice vote). - Beer tent at Old Home Days (vendor documentation requested before event): motion adopted (voice vote). - Acceptance of resignations: Danielle Scott and Elaine Gugliotti — motions accepted with regret (voice vote).

The council did not provide roll-call vote tallies in the transcript; votes were recorded as voice votes with “Aye” and no individual roll-call recorded. Several agenda items — including the refuse contract award, the animal-control contract and the budget motion — drew substantive discussion beforehand about cost increases, bidding, and procedural timing for the financial town meeting.

The council closed the meeting by moving into an executive session to discuss collective bargaining and contract negotiations under Rhode Island law.