on 06-12-2009 00:37

By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET - After listening to a stream of negative comments from residents, the City Council on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to an operating budget for fiscal year 2010 that does not depend on the adoption of a controversial new trash program.

The new budget will involve an increase in the tax levy of about 8.1 percent, which is down from the spending plan originally proposed by Mayor James E. Doyle that would have meant a 9.2 percent increase. 
The amended residential rate of $17.78 per $1,000 of assessed valuation represents an increase of $1.65 from last year's rate of $16.13. The amendment represents a 48 cent increase. For an average house assessed at $171,000, the tax bill would rise by about $282, according to Ronald Wunschel, the city's finance director.
On the commercial side, the amended rate of $23.88 per $1,000 of assessed valuation against the prior year rate of $20.82 represents a $3.06 increase.
This amendment  reflects  an 18 cent increase to the proposed budget.
A public hearing on the amendments to the proposed operating budget will be held on Wednesday, June 17, at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
A second vote by the City Council is required before the budget can be adopted for the fiscal year that starts on July 1 and runs through June 30, 2010.
Just last week, the city council had given its preliminary okay to an operating budget that would have cut the amount of the tax levy increase to 5.6 percent, but would have meant the implementation of a "pay-as-you-throw" waste disposal program. Under the program, known as Waste Zero,  all city residents, homeowners and renters alike, would have been required to purchase and use special trash bags, priced at $1 to $2,  and to do more recycling of bottles and cans. City officials had been counting on revenue from the bags and increased recyclables, but more importantly, on the savings that would presumably result from having to pay less in "tipping fees" charged to dispose of the trash at the central landfill.

A majority of the City Council voiced positive comments about the plan after visiting with city officials in Malden, Mass., a community north of Boston that successfully implemented the Waste Zero program  last year. A representative from Waste Zero gave a presentation on the program at the start of Wednesday's council meeting.

However, the program-and particularly the idea of paying for special trash bags--did not sit well with the three dozen or so city residents who took to the podium, one after the other, to urge councilors to scrap it.

Numerous speakers categorized the bag purchase requirement as a "hidden tax" that would cut down on the property tax increase on one hand but cost residents more in the long run. David Proulx asked the council, "What's next? A pay-as-you-go police and fire department?" Mark West stated, "I feel like the council is trying to back-door this program. There has not been enough conversation about this."

John Sawyer, who had done research on recycling programs, disputed the revenue projections for the Pawtucket program, saying that the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Program accepts fewer types of recyclables than its counterparts in Massachusetts. He also said that in Middletown, RI, the concept was discussed for two years prior to it being adopted. He criticized the council for "springing this on us."

Several residents said they were not against the concept of recycling, but doubted that it would work effectively in Pawtucket due to the many multi-family homes and a high population of renters. Angelina Renzo, who lives next to a four-unit house, said, "They're not going to buy these bags. You're going to have dumps all over the place."

Barbara Lagerstrom, who said she has been unemployed for over a year, said it would be difficult her to come up with the money for bags that cost $2 each. "With the economy as it is, we can't afford this," she said.

A few speakers addressed different aspects of the budget. Paul Mowrey and library staffer Casey Richards urged the council not to cut $148,000 from the library budget, saying that in the current economy, such services are needed more than ever.

Joel Tirrell spoke at length about the need to control spending and urged the council to not approve the budget. "We have three weeks to figure more savings out," he stated.

While the council backed off on the Waste Zero trash plan for this year, several councilors said they were still convinced the program could work and suggested that it should be revisited at a future date.

In voting on the amended budget, several councilors spoke of the angst they were feeling about a tax hike, but said there didn't appear to be any other options.

Council President Henry Kinch Jr. said he blamed the state for taking away local aid and passing the burden on to the local cities and towns. He and Councilor David Moran were also particularly critical of the School Department, saying that more effort should have been made to cut costs. Councilor Thomas Hodge also criticized the school administration for the bulk of the city's budget woes, saying "The albatross that we face is on Main Street."