Mid-Year Tax Increase in Cranston?

It passed so quickly, Cranston residents may have missed it, but reporter David Scharfenberg in Sunday’s Projo referred to the possibility of a “mid-year” tax increase in the city of Cranston…

In Cranston, the mayor and City Council never seriously entertained a tax increase this past budget season.

Elections were approaching in November, after all.

And [Mayor Michael Napolitano], who has since announced he is not running for reelection, was still expecting a tight race.

But as the city’s financial problems mount, there is a growing sense in the halls of government that something has to give.

A midyear property-tax increase is a distinct possibility. Officials say salaries should be frozen and employees should pay more for their health care.

Cranston residents are in this financial mess because the current Mayor and his allies on the City Council were afraid to cut spending. Instead, in 2007 Napolitano and his Council allies raised taxes to the maximum allowed by state law while giving little additional money to the schools. Napolitano and his rubber stamp City Council wasted this new revenue by entering into an unaffordable Firefighters contract filled with jaw dropping benefits and spent millions on unnecessary legal settlements. Now the school bills are due, and the financial house of cards Napolitano and his followers on the Council built is starting to come tumbling down. Unfortunately, it will be the Cranston taxpayers who will have to pay the price and pick up the pieces.

Jim Quinlan, Republican candidate for one of Cranston's three citywide City Council seats, also weighs in...

Not only is a supplemental tax increase possible, but Councilman John Lanni (D-City Wide) has already announced publicly, at the June Council Meeting, that it was to be expected in order to fund the Council's irresponsible spending.

In 18 months, this Council and Mayor have undone the financial repairs made to the City of Cranston prior to their term. They have given unaffordable contracts to Firefighters, bought swampland that the City does not have the money to pay for, and dipped into the rainy day fund on three occasions.

Cranston residents have a chance in November to put a stop to the waste and demand a little Common Sense in Cranston City Hall.

We need to elect leaders who understand priorities and know that Cranston taxpayers can not be expected to take any tax increase without first seeing a dramatic cut in spending and an overhaul of how business is done in Cranston.