North Smithfield council adopts $55.35 million FY2025–26 budget, trims some capital items

The North Smithfield Town Council on June 26 adopted a $55,352,785.09 general‑fund budget for fiscal year 2025–26 after a public hearing, multiple line‑item adjustments and roll‑call votes.

Councilors debated a series of capital and operating items — including the town’s road‑repair appropriation, playground funding at Pacheco Park, Memorial Town Hall window repairs, and several police department line items — before approving final totals and the town’s revenue plan. The meeting included a public comment from a resident urging caution on how revaluation‑related rate changes could affect homeowners more than commercial property owners.

The budget action matters because it establishes the town’s levy and spending plan for the coming year, determines the amount available for capital projects, and sets utility user fees that affect ratepayers. The council approved the budget and matched revenue package as a whole, and separately voted on multiple departmental budgets and reserve reallocations.

Most consequential votes

- The council approved the overall general‑fund expenditures and matching revenues at $55,352,785.09, which the finance director said represents a 4.37 percent increase in expenditures over the prior year and a proposed levy change of about 1.99 percent. The levy and the revenue package were adopted by roll call.

- Road repairs: Councilors debated whether to reduce the planned roads appropriation from $1,000,000 back toward a historic $800,000 level following the loss of a state matching program. After discussion about deteriorating pavement and carryover reserves, the council voted to reduce the appropriation by $100,000, setting the roads line at $900,000.

- Highway capital: Because the highway department has unspent reserves (the finance director reported roughly $342,000 including a street sweeper fund), the council voted to remove the $50,000 capital line item from this year’s budget and later approved a revised highway total of $4,060,343.66.

- Parks and recreation / Pacheco Park: The council debated a $100,000 playground reserve plus $17,000 for irrigation. After discussion about whether the town should first commission a study and about existing capital reserves for park entrances, councilors agreed to reduce the playground appropriation to $50,000 (bringing the parks & rec capital total to $67,000 when combined with irrigation funds). The revised parks and recreation budget was approved at $391,107.83.

- Memorial Town Hall windows: Councilors discussed a $20,000 request to replace two large windows and noted the Heritage Association and Champlain Foundation grants already committed to the building. Councilors who represent or work with the Heritage Association explained the building is leased to that group and used by town committees and private groups; the request remained in the budget as presented.

- Police department: Councilors adopted several adjustments to police line items (vehicle maintenance capitalization, maintenance agreements, and software/licenses) and approved a consolidated police department total of $4,621,149.07 after smaller line‑item changes and corrections to FICA allotments discussed on the floor.

- Water and sewer rates: The council approved the water user‑fee revenue estimate of $737,418.09 and a total water revenue package of $784,818.09. For sewer, councilors approved user fees totaling $2,559,217.21 and total sewer revenues of $2,994,864.66; the finance director reported the sewer rate calculation moved modestly from prior drafts.

- Taxes and levy process: The council read into the record its motion on the method of tax collection and the assessor’s duties, and approved the finance director’s authorization language for levy and tax‑collection procedures. The council also adopted a local ordinance amendment to Chapter 301 (taxation) — removing the local 225 percent tangible/class ratio language and replacing it with a reference that class 3 property rates “shall be set by the assessor as required by state law” to conform to the state statute that restricts rate increases. The council voted to accept the method of tax collection and later approved the final revenues, which established the town’s levy figures in the budget package.

Public comment and context

Resident Mike Davis of 151 Douglas Pike spoke during the public hearing and asked councilors to consider distributional effects of revaluation when setting rates, noting residential assessment increases in the town had outpaced commercial increases. Councilors and the finance director responded with a mix of caution about tax impacts on homeowners and concern that cutting capital now could raise long‑term reconstruction costs for deteriorated roads.

What happens next

Council documents show the ordinance amendment will be posted in accordance with municipal rules and state law, and the finance director will implement the adopted budget, user fees and billing. Several council members said staff will refine the roads prioritization list with the department of public works and return if additional adjustments are needed.

Ending note

Councilors completed departmental line‑item votes across general government, public safety, highways, parks and utilities and then approved the matching revenue package. Several smaller, bookkeeping adjustments to FICA and other codes were approved on the floor as the council finalized the budget for FY2025–26.