North Smithfield council continues FY 2026 budget hearing after broad departmental and committee reviews

The North Smithfield Town Council on June 16 continued the public hearing on the proposed FY 2026 town budget to June 23 after extended discussion with department heads and the Budget Committee.

Councilors, department directors and members of the town Budget Committee spent more than two hours reviewing items ranging from vehicle repairs to software upgrades and senior services. The council voted to continue the hearing to allow more time for figures, supporting documents and committee input.

Key budget items discussed:

- Fire/vehicle maintenance: Public Works Director Ray Pendergast told the council that a previously approved engine rebuild quote of $23,005.59 (authorized in April) had increased because parts costs rose by $3,378.71, bringing the new repair estimate to $26,009.38. He asked the council to increase the vehicle-maintenance line to cover the higher cost and complete the work in July.

- Fleet diagnostics: Pendergast said a vendor, Mitchell1 Diagnostics, raised its price for the software tool used by the department. He asked to increase the line for software and licenses from $3,156 to $5,916.

- eFinances upgrade: Finance staff notified department heads that the town’s eFinances system requires an upgrade estimated at $8,500 for FY 2026; the administrator offered to show a budget with those changes highlighted for council review.

- Animal-control staffing: Public Works confirmed the town is replacing a supervisory animal-control position with a single animal-control officer, reducing one supervisor line in salaries and reflecting that change in the draft budget.

- Police overtime and staffing: Councilors asked whether proposed overtime reductions for the police department were realistic, noting historical overtime totals and recent changes in staffing and new positions. Finance and administration said the overtime numbers assumed additional staffing that has since changed; the council agreed to revisit overtime during budget adoption and asked the police chief for detailed projections.

- Water-rate concerns: Members of the budget committee and residents raised alarm about a proposed 50% increase in North Smithfield Water Department rates for customers. The committee urged the council to explore alternative financing or town loans and asked the administration to provide clearer options for residents.

- Senior services: The council heard multiple presentations and concerns about how the town will fund and operate senior services. The Budget Committee emphasized it provided a $45,000 recommendation and asked for clearer operational plans. Councilors discussed potential grants, whether to route funds through Aging Well (an existing provider) or a new local entity, and the risk of a lapse in services. Several councilors requested a more detailed business case and audit information from potential partners before finalizing funding.

Why the continuation: Councilors said the June 23 continuation will give staff and the Budget Committee time to provide requested breakdowns (for example, real-estate vs. commercial tax components), finalized revenue projections and more complete documentation supporting salary adjustments and nonunion increases.

Result: A motion to continue the FY 2026 budget public hearing to June 23 carried in a roll-call vote. The council will reconvene the budget hearing on that date to consider the revised materials and any recommended changes to the draft budget.

Ending: The council asked department heads and the Budget Committee to supply the additional data before the June 23 hearing so the council could act on adoption and tax-rate decisions during the statutory schedule later in the month.