Cranston City Council adopts amended FY2025–26 budget, sets levy at 3% cap

CRANSTON, R.I. — At a special meeting Wednesday, April 23, the Cranston City Council approved amendments to the fiscal year 2025–26 budget, adopted the city's operating and capital budgets and set the property tax levy at the 3 percent charter cap.

The council voted as a body to introduce Vice President Wall's proposed budget amendments into the record and then approved them as a block, including a supplemental appropriation directing an additional $357,000 (reported in the meeting record as $357,000.357537) to the School Department for maintenance-of-effort (MOE). Vice President Wall told the council his quick calculation showed raising the levy to 3 percent would generate roughly $237,754 in additional levy revenue, which he proposed be used to help fund the school increase.

The amendments rearranged multiple line items across city departments. Among the changes read into the record by Wall: electrical-permit revenue increased by $5,000 (to $230,000); a $5,000 increase to the fire land-review line (to $115,000); a $25,000 increase to parks and recreation revenue (from $400,000 to $425,000, and later discussed again in motions increasing it to $435,000); assorted reductions to executive payroll and benefit lines with new start dates in October; and numerous modest adjustments to public-works and building-maintenance expense lines. Several councilors also proposed and won additional micro-amendments reallocating funds into the school appropriation.

Discussion and public administration reaction: - Councilman Bonanno framed the package as a bipartisan council effort and proposed two small amendments that together moved about $15,000 into the schools by reducing the council's video-streaming line and sidewalk-program revenue. - Councilwoman Graziano moved to further increase recreation revenue to $435,000 and to raise the parks-and-rec regional department expense by $10,000 to pay for items such as playground inspections and other maintenance; Director Zadellis said he had not completed an analysis but did not object to working with the council on the change. - Director Moretti, speaking for the administration, expressed concern about proposed salary increases embedded in some items. "I strongly recommend that that not be passed for the reasons stated above," he said, arguing that some increases would create internal pay inequities and that personnel issues involving performance should be considered in executive session. - Councilman Traficante raised a potential amendment to eliminate one funded but unfilled WIA (Workforce Investment Act) position, which he estimated at about $68,914 in salary (approximately $80,000 when payroll taxes and benefits are included). Director Zadellis and others pointed out that the position is grant-funded and removing it would reduce offsetting revenue; Traficante withdrew the motion after that clarification.

Legal/levy clarification and final actions: Solicitor Tom Malay clarified that the City Charter caps the levy at 3 percent and that any amount between the council's working figure (about 2.91 percent) and the 3 percent cap would be directed to the School Department under the motions before the council. "That excess would go to the school department," Malay said.

Formal votes and final approvals: after recessed deliberations and technical review with the auditor and finance director, the council voted to: - Adopt the amended fiscal-year 2025–26 budget (effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026) as amended; vote recorded in the meeting as unanimous. - Adopt a resolution approving the operating budget and the salary schedule for the general fund, sewer fund, ice-rink fund, insurance fund and the capital budget for FY2025–26 and the capital improvement program for subsequent years; vote recorded as unanimous. - Adopt a resolution authorizing the capital budget and the capital improvement program pursuant to section 6.12 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of Cranston; vote recorded as unanimous. - Approve an ordinance making the annual appropriation for the fiscal year as amended; vote recorded as unanimous. - Approve a resolution authorizing the assessment and levy of taxes consistent with the solicitor's clarification, effectively setting the levy at the 3 percent charter cap; vote recorded as unanimous. - Approve an ordinance fixing the date when taxes assessed as of Dec. 31, 2024, will be due and payable and the date when unpaid taxes will carry penalty; vote recorded as unanimous.

The council recorded its approvals by roll call after each motion. Several councilors praised the bipartisan cooperation that produced the package and emphasized the priority of supporting the schools while balancing taxpayer considerations. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn and unanimous consent.

What happened and what it means: the council's actions reallocate modest sums across departments while increasing the local contribution to schools and finalizing the city's operating and capital budgets for the coming year. Several administrative leaders flagged concerns about salary-equity and grant-funded positions, and the solicitor's on-the-record clarification tied the levy decision to the charter limit.