To the Editor:

After watching the budget hearings I was completely disappointed in both the lack of knowledge on the part of this new administration and the almost complete lack of questioning on the part of the City Council, of course, with one exception.  Five current council members bloviated for hours on Jan. 1 of 2020 how the new fire department budget would save the residents $650,000 dollars. Facing multiple questions, none of the five were able to answer one particular question on the contract on that evening of Jan. 6.

Yet even with the departments explosive overtime budget and lack of a plan by this administration on curtailing costs, these five council members stood silent with the inability to ask any questions of the department expenditures. In particular, the lack of knowledge by the administration of well-known issues of citywide importance was overwhelmingly embarrassing.

By all examples, this is not the A Team.

Councilman Howe continually states that the dragged out long council meetings is what causes residents not to interact. The truth of the matter is that the few residents that have interacted are tired of wasting time with a government body that is not only ineffective, but are also unqualified. As evident by yet another meltdown on the part of Councilman Howe, as seen on the budget hearing video, he is totally out of touch with the fiscal stability of this community. His lack of business and finance acumen is obvious and is protected by limiting speech and questioning from residents far more educated than he.

With council meetings still closed to the public, yet council members have open fundraisers with no social distancing with their hands open while surrounded by the special interest groups speaks volumes. Nothing good comes from shutting down speech, but this council thinks this tactic is a good one.

One last thought to Mayor Picozzi and the City Council. Given the suffering in the past year both physical and financial, the thought of giving raises to employees who have not been financially impacted is not only outrageous and incompetent, but a complete slap in the face to those paying the bills. However, I have no doubt that this administration, like others before it, will cave to the special union interests and ignore the taxpayers. For certain we will hear the phrase “these workers deserve raises.”

That you can take to the bank.

Rob Cote

Warwick