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Thank you Mr. Durand for presenting some fiscal sound questions, At least you had an opportunity to be heard last night.

The most telling comment as the previous posted has referenced was the fact that on several occasions while Mr. Newton was answering questions posed by Councilman Merolla, he stated that it was not his job to determine if the city could in fact make the scheduled payments he has proposed into the Police/Fire I pension plan or all the other plans for that matter.

Can we guess whose job that falls on? MAYOR AVEDISIAN and the CITY COUNCIL!

Newton didn't know what effect staying with this plan would have on future budgetary expenses including giving raises to current employees or paying for the salary and benefits of the new employees that soon will be hired in the city with federal funds for three years. What happens when those funds run out where are those dollars going to come from?

Newton also made the statement that current employees can expect to see small or practically no increases in salary as they have experienced in the past because the city needs to stay with this plan and giving raises will increase the liability in Police/Fire I.

Here is a novel idea - maybe its time to open up negotiation with Warwick retirees like every other city is doing and ask them to suspend the COLA payments until the fund is above critical ststus. Maybe then employee can get a raise equal just to stay even with inflated gas, food, utility costs

So in effect the MAYOR’s policy is to screw current employees to make up enough funds to stay with this plan. And on top of that Mr. Newton would not give any guarantee this plan would work. How do you like those 50/50 odds he sighted, while you current economic outlook falls further and further behind for you and your family? Sounds like we are playing a game of Russian Roulette.

Newton also didn't know the general laws of RI which place caps on the amount (thank god) of increases in property taxes can be applied from year to year.

Grest idea - lets keep raising the property taxes in Warwick. Mayor Avedisian you still don't understand why METLIFE is leaving thie city and this state? Who is the dope?

So here is my challenge to the MAYOR and the CITY COUNICL - spend the money to build a model to forecast expenses related to pension and retiree healthcare expenses and all other expenses in the city and schools over the next 5, 10 and 15 years. Then build a revenue model over the same period of time.

Subtract the expenses from the revenue and see if it balances.

I MAY BE CRAZY - but I will bet the math doesn’t add up.

Will the mayor and the council do this, of course not? They really don’t want to know the answer.

My advice to the employees in the city of Warwick and taxpayer- demand this analysis.

And if Mayor Avedisian and the city council are so convinced this plan will work have them sign an statement making them liability personally if in fact it fails.

I guess I am a crazy!!!

From: Mayor argues to hold course on pension plan

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