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@DougMartin - Do you agree with my suspposition that we need to look at all expenses and we need to analyze the overall growth in expenses and revenue to determine if we can sustain current spending?

Based on my anaylsis we can't.

This budget year is a harbinger of what is to come. Police, fire and municipal employees are not receiving raises. The school department budget was level funded. Any raises for teachers is being paid for with cuts in other parts of the school budget. Across the board all employees are paying a 20 percent cost sharing for health-care.

You would think based on those facts we would not have needed any property tax increase this year.

And yet the 2013 city budget has approximately $4 million more in spending compared to last year.

Since 2007 local tax dollars to support the city budget has increased or 52.8 percent overall. School spending over the same period has increased 4.9 percent.

So to recap:

* no raises for city employees;

* School budget level funded;

* Employee paying more for healthcare cutting cost by millions;

and city spending increasing by million..

Why you might ask?

Legacy costs associated with pension and OPEB costs are increasing at unsustainable rates.

And you don't think we have a problem?

What going to happen in a few years when the current contracts expire and every city employee is going to demand a raise while pension and OPEB costs climb even higher?

If we are raising taxes still under the current circumstances, how are we going to meet those expenses. Taxes by law can only increase so much unless city leaders impose taxes over the cap. That may be a possibility. WHat's that going to do to property owners?

I hope your right and the ecomony taking off soon, but am very doubtful of that - because not only Warwick, but other cities and towns and this state and the country for that matter are heading off the fiscal cliff sooner then you think.

From: City’s ‘critical’ pension plan to get outside review

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