GOP State Rep on Coventry Fire District's Request for ARPA Funding -- and Need to Amend Legislation

GOP State Rep on Coventry Fire District's Request for ARPA Funding -- and Need to Amend Legislation

Rhode Island State Representative George Nardone is advocating that the financially beleaguered Coventry Fire District put forth a plan to request COVID-relief funding for its $3 million budget hole -- and that legislation should be amended to correct "detrimental language."

Nardone, a Republican, has represented District 28 (Coventry) since 2019. 

“In 2019, the General Assembly passed H5662, which eliminated an important firefighter contract negotiating tool for municipalities.  At that time, myself, along with legions of others, expressed strong concern that this legislation would significantly increase fire protection costs.  The Central Coventry Fire District had emerged from bankruptcy, was on strong footing and following a self-sustaining plan before H5662 was put into law," said Nardone.

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This isn't the first time the Fire District has been in financial trouble. As GoLocal reported in 2013 before its bankruptcy filing:

"When the Central Coventry Fire District revealed last fall that it had a $1.6 million budget deficit and would seek receivership, many residents in the small Rhode Island area who had never even attended a fire district meeting wondered how such a big problem could have gone unnoticed for so long.

The problem was so bad that firefighters in the district went weeks without pay and, if the current projections hold true, the district’s taxpayers will soon be asked to foot a tax increase of up to 60 percent to make up the now $2 million hole."

2022 in Focus

Now, Nardone pointed out that overtime costs have increased by as much as 30% -- which he said is "unsustainable for my community and potentially, many others."

"The public warning from the Central Coventry Fire District that their operations will cease in a few months without assistance from the state was foreseeable after the General Assembly passed this misguided and unsustainable mandate on our cities and towns," said Nardone. "In an effort to help the taxpayers of Coventry, I will be requesting a meeting with the Central Coventry Board and Finance Director to put forth a comprehensive plan in an attempt to seek ARPA funding to address this issue."

"In addition, I will be looking at the language in H5662 the reads ‘hours worked shall include all paid leave’, to try to correct the detrimental effects this language is having on the taxpayers of Rhode Island," he added. "I will file a bill to amend the law.”