Tuesday, January 24, 2012
As of Jan. 13, the hospital was owed $4.3 million for special education services, according to budget commission documents.
Riverside's Bradley Hospital is one of the premiere facilities that studies bipolar disorder, autism and the technology that researches it, according to reports from EastBayRI.com. Researchers are also striving to understand the brain circuitry in individuals suffering from depression to develop effective behavorial therapy. So, the allocation of $12.6 million in early state aid will be put to good use. In recent budget commission meetings, the hospital has been a topic of conversation. As of Jan. 13, the hospital was owed $4.3 million for special education services, according to budget commission documents. But at Tuesday's school committee meeting, Finance Director Mary King said most of the city's debt would be close to paid off. "This…
41.792143
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Bradley Hospital
1011 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, Riverside, RI
/articles/bradley-hospital-on-the-cutting-edge-of-brain-research
1709878
/locations/6244593
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The bill passed 64-1 on the House floor.
Members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a legislative bill that will give East Providence an advancement in its state aid. The payment will float the city until May. It was projected East Providence would be broke without an influx of cash by March. "I would not be standing here asking you to do this," said Rep. Helio Melo, chairman of the House Finance Committee (D-East Providence). "Obviously the city is in default of some contractual obligations...It gives the city time to develop strategies." The bill passed 64-1. Rep. Robert Watson (R-East Greenwich, West Greenwich) was the only no vote. He had concerns with an amendment to the bill that states East Providence is not in default due to outstanding …
Vouchers exceeding $25,000 were approved by the commission.
The budget commission is banking on state legislators' votes tonight. According to Michael O'Keefe, chairman of the budget commission, a proposed bill to advance the annual state aid payment could give East Providence about $12.7 million. "It gives us breathing room until May," he said at Thursday's budget commission meeting, noting an immediate cash flow issue was his main concern. Members also discussed the possibility of creating further incentives to push residents to pay their tax bills months earlier than the deadline. Before the idea is brought before residents, members will assess the fiscal benefits. "It may not be cost-effective," O'Keefe said. Commission members must still calculate the amount needed to fund pension liability …
41.81971
-71.37596
East Providence City Hall
145 Taunton Ave, East Providence, RI
/articles/budget-commission-works-to-pay-outstanding-debts
1776799
/locations/6177608
The bill would give the budget commission authority to certify to the state Department of Revenue that the city needs an advance of its education aid and to determine the amount necessary.
Today the House and Senate will vote on legislation requested by the East Providence Budget Commission that would help the city receive its state education aid early to prevent it from running out of cash later this month. They will cast their ballots at approximately 4 p.m. The legislation is sponsored by the chairmen of the House and Senate Finance Committees, both of whom are from East Providence, Rep. Helio Melo (D-Dist. 64, East Providence) and Sen. DanielDa Ponte (D-Dist. 14, East Providence, Pawtucket), reads the release. The bill would give budget commissions – the panels appointed by the state to help financially troubled municipalities address their fiscal needs – the authority to certify to the state Department of Revenue that …
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Members discussed the results of an audit that proposes an additional $1.5 million in department savings at Tuesday's East Providence School Committee meeting.
East Providence Patch reported live from city hall during Tuesday night's school committee meeting. To balance the city budget, members voted to accept a B&E audit report that includes $3 million in proposed adjustments - including the elimination of half-day kindergarten, middle school sports, and classes that only attract a small group of students. School committee members voted to study the fiscal impact of those adjustments before they made the recommended cuts. The school committee has already voted on many of the audit's recommendations, so far saving $1.5 million in next year's budget. The audit also praised the department's highly successful special eduction program and urged administrators to hire essential staff, including a …
41.81971
-71.37596
East Providence City Hall
145 Taunton Ave, East Providence, RI
/articles/live-coverage-east-providence-school-committee-meeting
1776799
/locations/6161570
Thursday, January 5, 2012
East Providence should be able to make payroll through the end of March.
State aid to the rescue, maybe. Members of the budget commission are actively researching initiatives to bail out East Providence's floundering finances. One proposition: ask the Rhode Island House Finance Committee if an early state aid payment can be deposited in East Providence's coffers. The city usually receives the funds by April 30, said Finance Director Ellen Eggeman after Thursday's meeting. A $12.2 million deficit is projected for April. The city also as an option of buying a bond to bridge the deficit. Municipalities, such as Woonsocket, have secured loans while reducing debt. But a poor credit rating is compounding the city's financial woes. According to Maureen Gurghigian of First Southwest, a finance firm that does consulting…
41.81971
-71.37596
East Providence City Hall
145 Taunton Ave, East Providence, RI
/articles/xxx-2c621b4e
1776799
/locations/6133232
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Councilors voted against changing the tax billing schedule to level East Providence debt.
City councilors unanimously voted to table a resolution that would have altered tax collection schedules to help pull East Providence out of its mounting debt. It's no secret administrators are anxious to secure a stopgap in cash flow. They project the city will be broke by the end of January unless they secure additional Tax Anticipation Notes (TANs). The city's borrowing ability has been constricted by the latest bond downgrade; Bank of America only lent $10 million leaving administrators scrambling. After this morning's third budget commission meeting, members agreed to further study the impact of the proposal. Mayor Bruce Rogers said many residents would not be able to handle an extra bill, that some would be "forced out of their homes…
41.81971
-71.37596
East Providence City Hall
145 Taunton Ave, East Providence, RI
/articles/political-intrigue-isn-t-behind-budget-commission
1776799
/locations/6118778
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
East Providence politicians say the move is intrusive since the fiscal overseer has only been monitoring the city's finances for 30 days.
State officials appointed a budget commission to oversee the city’s finances after Moody’s Investors Services downgraded the city's bond rating again last week. The move is considered another step closer to East Providence being placed in a state of receivership. The five-member group will include Mr. Graczykowski and Mayor Bruce Rogers along with three appointments made by State Director of Revenue Rosemary Booth Gallogly – Major Bannon, former Budget Officer and House Fiscal Advisor Michael O’Keefe and Diane L. Brennan, City of Warwick Financial Report Analyst. According to Moody's, one of the main reasons for the downgrade was the appointment of a fiscal overseer by the State of Rhode Island. “Since the lower bond rating may result in a…
Monday, November 14, 2011
Special education facilities and charter schools are on a list of vendors owed outstanding payments from East Providence.
City officials and representatives from the state Department of Revenue met with Bradley Hospital administrators Monday after they aired complaints - and warned they might cease service to students - on the grounds that financial obligations have not been upheld for years. About $5 million is currently owed to the Riverside facility that services most of East Providence's special eduction students. "Cash is a problem," said Rosemary Booth Gallogly, director of Revenue for the State of Rhode Island during an afternoon press conference. According to Finance Director Ellen Eggeman, no financial contracts were signed; however, hospital administrators said they won't immediately cut off services after meeting with city officials. "They wanted …
41.792143
-71.36569
Bradley Hospital
1011 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, Riverside, RI
/articles/city-owes-5-million-to-bradley-hospital
1709878
/locations/5806525
Major Steven Bannon will give a report to the state regarding the city's finances after 120 days of advisement.
To get East Providence's balance sheets on track, the state Department of Revenue appointed a fiscal overseer on Monday. Major Steven Bannon of the state police will help forge a sustainable five-year budget deficit reduction plan, announced Rosemary Booth Gallogly, director of the state Department of Revenue, during a press conference held at city hall. "Collaboratively we'll come up with a plan to resolve the issues here," Bannon said. Due to outstanding school department debts to eduction vendors, including Meeting Street and Bradley Hospital, and mounting pension plan costs, state officials said intervention is imperative. The city is paying about 48 percent into the pension plan's actuarially required contributions (ARC). According to…
41.81971
-71.37596
East Providence City Hall
145 Taunton Ave, East Providence, RI
/articles/fiscal-overseer-appointed-in-east-providence
1776799
/locations/5806924
Arthur Dolloff
2:20 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012
If these clowns can't make this work there may be little left we can do. Sure it gets the city out of immediate trouble but it does little to fix the real problem. Align the tax and fiscal year and put transparency into the program so even a simple working taxpayer can understand what is happening. Get rid of the Great Wizzard and make the man behind the green curtain stand before the people and … more ›