Mayor Ken Hopkins revealed his proposed operating budget for the 2024 fiscal year at a special city council meeting Friday.

“I am pleased to report that Cranston’s financial posture has continued to improve from the challenging and significant impact from the historic COVID-19 pandemic on our budget and our community,” Hopkins said in his address to the City Council. “That progress is witnessed in the face of millions of dollars in lost state revenue and historic inflation, pressures from a roller coaster of national economic uncertainty.”

Hopkins said his budget is more than $5 million less than the current budget. Last year, he said, the city implemented significant steps to reduce the size of Cranston’s government and that the goals of he and his new budget are committed to keeping Cranston on the right track of delivering necessary services to taxpayers at a reasonable price.

Police, fire protection, snow plowing, trash collection and even education were among the services he addressed in the unveiling of his budget proposal. In fact, Hopkins said that his proposed financial plan dedicated 55% of the city’s funds to the school system, an increase from last year’s budget by $2.8 million.

Under the new budget residents would pay  a total of $98.5 million of a proposed school budget of approximately $178 million. That funding will include the additional $2.5 million Hopkins said that he gave the school in the last two years that is now built into the city’s required maintenance of effort.

“Residents expect (the school department) will meet all the learning needs of students from our early education children through secondary students in their high school years,” Hopkins said. “While we have no direct say in their spending, our residents want blue-ribbon schools that meet the challenges of a 21st century education.”

Hopkins’ budget is $325 million, while the 2023 budget was for $330.5 million. Hopkins said that most of Cranston’s neighboring communities could not boast the same decrease of expected expenditures.

“In Cranston we are getting the job done for less money,” Hopkins said. “We ended the last fiscal year with approximately $442,000 in surplus added to our rainy day fund. Rating agencies affirmed Cranston’s double A+ rating on the city’s outstanding general obligation bonds.”

After reviewing the positive points of the previous fiscal year, Hopkins discussed upcoming projects such as the Legion Bowl project, growth of the Park Theater and the planned Iron Stag Brewery on Rolfe Square, saying that these projects will help to improve infrastructure and the appearance of Cranston’s business corridors.

Additionally, Hopkins said that he is committing the necessary resources in the police budget to help keep the city safe. Programs such as the FLOCK license plate reading software will continue to be funded in an effort to strengthen the police force’s ability to handle crime in the city and keep residents safe.

The fire department will also be looking to hire 12 new firefighters for the next three years thanks to the SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant, Hopkins said.

“The additional personnel will help with our minimum manning requirements,” said Hopkins. “With all the encouraging developments, we had to assemble a budget in a very challenging environment of less revenue, expanding costs and financial obligations that must be met. I underscore my concerns for taxpayers who, like their city government, are challenged with their own financial obligations and cost of living. This budget is a balancing test of my best judgment on how to fund local schools and services.”

The Council Finance Committee is scheduled to consider the budget tonight starting at 6 p.m.