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Finance committee forwards capital projects resolution to council after split vote
Summary
The Coventry Finance Committee voted 2–1 to move a Capital Projects Resolution to the full Town Council amid disagreement about grouping items on the bond referendum; the committee instructed staff to fix formatting and bring the resolution to the council for adoption ahead of the budget referendum.
The Coventry Town Council Finance Committee voted March 9 to forward a Capital Projects Resolution to the full Town Council after a brief debate over whether to group project items on the bond referendum or list them individually.
Town Manager James Drumm presented the documents for the resolution and said placing the bond referendum with the budget is less expensive than handling bond adoption separately. "The Bond referendum with the budget is less expensive," Drumm said. Committee member Julie Blanchard cautioned that bundling disparate items could prompt voters to reject the whole package if they disagree with individual components. Council Chairwoman Lisa Thomas and Chairwoman Robyn Gallagher countered that grouping thematically related safety items could avoid pitting the schools against town infrastructure in voters’ decisions.
Gallagher moved to forward the Capital Projects Resolution to the full Town Council, Larson seconded, and the motion passed with Gallagher and Larson in favor and Blanchard opposed. The committee asked staff to correct formatting problems in the resolution—specifically truncated numbers in total cost columns—before the Town Council sees the item.
The resolution will be placed on the next Town Council agenda for consideration; the committee noted that adoption timing could affect how the items appear on the upcoming budget referendum.
