Cranston council grills Parks & Recreation director over steep proposed budget increases

Cranston — Councilors at a special finance committee hearing on Saturday pressed the city’s Parks & Recreation director over a budget that officials say is a more realistic accounting of recent spending but that would raise costs in several lines if approved.

“I think this budget represents a more realistic, numbers compared to last year,” Parks & Recreation Director (as referred to in the hearing) said, defending higher figures for contracted fertilization and aeration, new pool supplies, preventive maintenance, and electricity for numerous sites around the city. The director told councilors that some increases reflect previously underbudgeted, recurring costs — for example, a three‑year fertilization contract that cost about $40,000–$45,000, while the earlier budget had shown $20,000.

The hour‑long exchange turned to personnel and tradeoffs. Council President (as identified in the hearing) said the city is “looking at … perhaps the largest tax increase the city of Cranston’s ever seen,” and warned the council may need a supermajority vote at the state and local level to exceed the tax cap the mayor has requested.…