Mayor Raps Format of City Budget
East Providence Mayor Bruce Rogers said at the City Council meeting Tuesday night that a budget that reflects specific revenues and expenditures is needed.
East Providence’s proposed budget for next fiscal year took some heat Tuesday night, Oct. 2, from the mayor. It wasn’t heat generated by the size of the $134.5 million General Fund, though. It was heat generated by the form of the budget. “I’m unable in this current budget format to determine the revenues versus the expenditures,” said East Provide Mayor Bruce Rogers. Rogers used the Municipal Court line item as an example. The budget only shows the expenditures, not the revenue, he said. Does the court generate revenue for East Providence? Should the city just send moving violations to the RI Traffic Tribunal? The city can’t just eliminate the court, Rogers said, but the budget format doesn’t give the City Council or taxpayers the context…
Govstench
9:16 am on Sunday, October 7, 2012
Municipal Courts should be sending their revenue to the city. The city should have a budget item that funds the court, the staff that works there and any expenditures. In turn, any revenues from tickets, fines and penalties should be turned over to the city finance department. This is not rocket science people - set up a format and stick to it. Perhaps the council should make the budget format an… more ›