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Cranston committees approve multi-category bonding authorization and send measures to legislature
Summary
Finance and ordinance committees moved a package of six bond authorizations (schools, public safety, public buildings, parks, highway and storm drains) to the Rhode Island General Assembly and asked to place them on the November ballot; council discussion reviewed remaining bonding authority and timing.
The Cranston City Council moved a package of six bond authorizations to the state legislature and asked to place the questions on the November ballot after committee action and full-council consideration on June 9.
Finance Director (identified in the meeting as Director Stum/Strong) briefed the Finance Committee on the process: the council authorizes bonding authority, the General Assembly must approve, and the authorization is placed on the ballot for voter approval. He reiterated that authorization tonight would not itself obligate the city to issue bonds; specific projects and bond issuances will return to the council for final approval.
The administration's draft package designated approximate authorizations by category: $25 million for schools; $8 million for public safety; $2 million for public buildings; $4 million for parks and recreation; $8 million for highway improvements; and $4 million for storm drains. Committee members noted the figures are authorizations that can be phased and adjusted by the council before actual bonding.
Director Strong later summarized the city's remaining unissued bond authority and explained the rationale for additional authorization. As presented to the council, remaining available authority varied by category: roughly $20.9 million of existing school authority, about $17 million remaining in police/fire authority (including roughly $8 million labeled for a 'new police station' in prior authorizations), $3 million for public buildings, $3.9 million for recreation, about $2 million for storm drains and effectively no remaining highway authority. "Our bonding authority is very small right now," Director Strong told the council and urged replenishing authority to allow planned projects to proceed.
Council members voted to take the six resolutions as a block and forward them to the General Assembly. The council recorded unanimous affirmative responses on roll call for the block motion and later for the full-council votes that forwarded the package.
Council members asked the administration to provide updated project lists, expected debt-service impacts and likely state reimbursement estimates before final project approvals. The move to seek authorization begins the legislative and ballot timeline: if the General Assembly approves the authorizations and Cranston voters approve the questions in November, the council will still approve specific project allocations and the timing of bond issuance.
