Friday, February 15, 2013
Special Master Richard Land will begin planning for a possible liquidation, but will simultaneously work on a new, updated budget to present to taxpayers. Central Coventry residents will also be required to pay the first three quarters of this year's tax
Members of the Central Coventry Fire Department wrapped up an eventful and unpredictable week on what most consider to be a positive note on Friday. At Thursday's emergency hearing, Superior Court Judge Brian P. Stern heard testimony from various members of the district, board, union, town and legal counsel in regards to a possible liquidation now being considered following the rejection of Land's proposed budget and tax rate on Monday night. After nearly three hours of deliberation, Judge Stern requested that any parties who had feasible ideas to keep the district afloat meet and formulate a solid plan to be presented to him in Superior Court for a final ruling at 1 p.m. on Friday - a mere 19 hours in the future. After brainstorming …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
After a 3-hour hearing on Thursday, Judge Brian Stern moved to allow CCFD and Town officials a final opportunity to suggest a plan that may save the fire district from liquidation.
An emergency hearing was held at Kent County Superior Court on Thursday afternoon to address CCFD Special Master Richard Land's submission of an Emergency Petition to Authorize Liquidation of the foundering fire district following the rejection of his proposed 2012-2013 budget and tax levy on Monday. Dozens of Central Coventry Fire personnel were present in front of Superior Court Judge Brian P. Stern, along with taxpayers, fire officials from the town's additional three fire districts, Police Chief Bryan Volpe, Town Manager Tom Hoover, Town Council President Gary Cote, state legislators and legal representation for all entities involved. After summarizing his progress as Special Master and the outcome of Monday's budget meeting, Land …
41.690096
-71.501161
222 Quaker Ln, Warwick, RI
/articles/superior-court-judge-stern-orders-final-hearing-to-decide-ccfd-s-fate
/locations/9061292
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
An emergency hearing for Feb. 14 has been scheduled following the voter rejection of a proposed budget and tax levy.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
An emergency hearing for Feb. 14 has been scheduled following the voter rejection of a proposed budget and tax levy.
An emergency hearing for Feb. 14 has been scheduled following the voter rejection of a proposed budget and tax levy.
At Monday night's special meeting of the Central Coventry Fire District, taxpayers of the district rejected a 2012-2013 budget that would have allowed for the continuation of fire and emergency services, but at a substantial tax increase. A final tally showed 228 against the proposed budget and 204 in favor of and as a result of this decision, the district now faces a significant possibility of being liquidated. Before the vote, hundreds of taxpayers gathered in the Coventry High School auditorium to view a presentation by Special Master Richard Land regarding the at-risk fire district's ongoing financial problems. The presentation outlined the progress made in recent months to shed light on how a $1.5 million deficit came about as well …
Monday, February 11, 2013
Special Master Richard Land will now meet with Judge Brian Stern to discuss shutting the district down if there are no other options.
Residents of the Central Coventry Fire District gathered at Coventry High School Monday night to review and vote on the fiscal 2012-2013 budget and tax levy proposed by Special Master Richard Land. Following months of investigation and review of the district's finances, which included the discovery of a $217,285,200 assessment error in 2009 regarding a Commerce Park property, Land presented the $6,581,742 budget and resulting tax levy of $3.15 per $1,000 of value for all assessed property within the district. This rate shows a $1.33 per $1,000 increase for residential and tangible property and a 47 cent decrease per $1,000 for commercial property when compared to the old and incorrect rates used for fiscal years 2010-2011, 2011-2012, and…
41.68328
-71.587869
Coventry Senior High School
40 Reservoir Rd, Coventry, RI
/articles/central-coventry-taxpayers-reject-proposed-budget-228-204
507989
/locations/8792263
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
No votes were taken at the meeting that served as an informational forum for taxpayers.
Hundreds of Central Coventry Fire District residents joined employees, board members and Special Master Richard Land at Monday night's public meeting held at Coventry High School. Land explained to the crowd that up until last week, he had intended on presenting budgetary information to be voted on by taxpayers, but as the much-anticipated meeting drew near, he decided that presenting his findings regarding the district's financial status would be the ultimate goal of the evening. Fire District and Personnel Land, accompanied by Chief Andrew Baynes and advisor John Murray, worked their way through a 53-slide presentation over the course of the nearly 4-hour meeting. The presentation (attached) began with a summary of the fire district's …
41.68328
-71.587869
Coventry Senior High School
40 Reservoir Rd, Coventry, RI
/articles/ccfd-public-meeting-sheds-light-on-financial-issues
507989
/locations/8365432
Scott
9:13 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
@ Western Citizen, first the unions have been involved in CCFD since the mid 1980's or beginning of the 90's and there was NO problem! At that time and up until the merger, all the talk was that Coventry didn't need 8 fire districts with seperate boards and duplication of effort and services. Now the process everyone, mostly taxpayers, wanted is here and people managing the new district make a … more ›