Finance committee approves budget change to raise public works director salary to $172,000

At a special Finance Committee meeting on April 17, Cranston administration staff asked the committee to approve an amendment to the current municipal budget to raise the salary for the Public Works director position to support hiring before the start of the FY2026 budget. The committee approved the ordinance amendment on a roll-call vote.

Director Moretti (speaking for the administration) described the ordinance as a companion to an item in next year’s budget and said the change would allow the city to recruit and hire a Public Works director prior to the start of the new fiscal year. The ordinance as presented would change the salary figure to $172,000 for the position in the current fiscal year. Moretti said the administration does not anticipate exceeding budget totals for the current fiscal year and that there are sufficient funds to cover the incremental cost between now and July 1.

A clerk’s certification on the ordinance states the anticipated sufficient funds are available to fund the proposed change for the period ending June 30, 2025. Committee members voted to approve the ordinance amendment; the clerk recorded roll-call affirmatives.

Why it matters: Raising the salary schedule allows the administration to recruit a candidate in a competitive market and potentially fill a longstanding vacancy in DPW leadership before the next fiscal year begins. The committee said the change will be reflected in the FY2026 budget process thereafter.

The ordinance will be enacted according to council procedure and is intended to cover the period until the new fiscal-year budget takes effect.