Seekonk Approves $78 Million Budget

The $78.7 million budget for FY’27 was approved at Monday’s Town Meeting. The figure represents a 3.8 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

$35 million was allocated for Seekonk Public Schools. The Select Board approved an additional $173,000 in Chapter 70 funds to be given to the school department. Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell noted one bus route was reduced and athletic and activity fees will be implemented for the next school year. In addition, transportation fees will increase from $150 to $180 per student.

Town Administrator Shawn Cadime explained there had initially been a budget gap of $3 million. Fixed costs, including health insurance costs and pensions for town employees, were a factor. Cadime noted reductions in general government spending helped to close that gap.

Public Safety spending increased by eight percent. $13.9 million was allocated for the Police and Fire Departments.

Chris Rizzo, a member of the Finance Committee, did not approve of hiring four mid-year hires for the Fire Department. Rizzo believed the extra staffing would “not be sustainable” in the long run.

“We do not want to hire these firefighters and be in a scenario where we have to let them go because we couldn’t make it work,” Rizzo said.

The Finance Committee had met with Fire Chief Shaun Whalen last month and voted to eliminate the mid-year hires, which drew some criticism.

Select Board member Michael Healy, a former Fire Chief, noted the elimination of the mid-year hires would be “detrimental” to public safety.

Healy said the goal of the Fire Department and the Select Board was to increase staffing and urged voters to support Cadime’s budget.

Voters also approved $725,000 for the purchase of a new air handling unit for the pool at Seekonk High School. The system controls humidity and air temperature as well as heating of the pool water.

Ryan McGee, the Business Administrator for the School District, explained there would be new partnerships which would allow the pool to be used by the community.

Kidwell warned the pool could become “unusable” if the current air handling unit was to stop working. It was installed in 2001 and is nearing the end of its’ lifespan.

The cost to decommission the pool would be $1.4 million.

The article was approved with 170 votes in favor and 24 in opposition.

Another article, which asked for the appropriation of $975,000 to replace the asphalt, curbing, and drainage of the parking lot at Martin Elementary School, was defeated. 72 votes were in favor, with 101 in opposition. 

McGee introduced the article by explaining the work would be done in phases. Kidwell acknowledged $975,000 was “too big a number.” A motion was made to request $447,000 but was withdrawn after school and town officials met during the meeting.

“$975,000 is a ridiculous amount of money,” said Select Board Chair Gary Sagar. “It’s even more ridiculous to do this (work) in two phases.”

Michael Brady, a member of the Finance Committee, said the cost is “excessive and should be voted down.”

Kidwell said the work was needed, noting the town was “continuing to create an unsafe situation.”

Other articles which were approved:

An appropriation of $100,000 for updating door locks at Hurley Middle School. This is Phase 3 of the School Safety and Security Project.

The establishment of a School Building Committee to oversee potential building projects based around Hurley Middle School.

Transfer from the PEG Cable Access and Cable Related fund the sum of $149,102 as a grant to Seekonk Cable Access, Inc., the Town’s PEG Access Provider, to carry out its PEG Access Provider functions in FY’27.

An appropriation from Ambulance Receipts the sum of $119,797.25 for the third year of a four (4) year lease/purchase for an EMS/Rescue vehicle for the Fire Department.

An appropriation of the funds for departmental equipment, including Year Three (3) of the three (3) year lease/purchase of one (1) bucket truck for the Public Works Department - $67,945, Year Two (2) of the three (3) year lease/purchase of one (1) large dump truck for the Public Works Department - $110,575, and the purchase a trackless tractor for the Public Works Department - $250,000.