LETTERS

The people have spoken, mayor and council must listen

Posted 4/26/22

To the Editor,

The following text is from a letter regarding the City’s use of $43M in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds sent to members of the Cranston City Council and to the Hopkins …

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LETTERS

The people have spoken, mayor and council must listen

Posted

To the Editor,

The following text is from a letter regarding the City’s use of $43M in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds sent to members of the Cranston City Council and to the Hopkins Administration. We encourage Cranston residents to make your voices heard about these issues.

We applauded the efforts by the City Council some months ago to solicit resident input into how the City’s $43M in ARPA funds could be put to the best use to improve the quality of life in our city, which have thus far included two public meetings and a survey.

The amount of ARPA money is not nearly enough to adequately fund all the needs that were identified by residents who participated in the public meetings: affordable housing, lead pipe replacement and lead paint abatement, climate resilience, sustainable energy, mental health and childcare services, to name just a few. 

As a grassroots organization focused on government transparency, resident participation and just, sustainable policies, we urge the City to put the funds to good use following these principles:  

  •  Focus on one or two areas of critical need In order to have the greatest impact.
  •  Invest in sustainable solutions, by incorporating a plan for changes seeded by ARPA money to be maintained and built on into the future.
  • Partner with Rhode Island’s vibrant university, nonprofit, philanthropic and corporate sectors, which can be a resource multiplier as well as providing technical expertise in developing the most innovative, effective solutions.
  • Provide a transparent decision-making process with continuing opportunities for Cranston residents to weigh in.  

We cannot extend the same appreciation to Mayor Hopkins and his administration, now that he has put forth his proposed budget, which not only absorbs half of the ARPA funds to cover the City’s regular operating budget for the next fiscal year, but also includes another property tax hike -- all because of his failure to competently manage the City’s finances. 

ARPA has given us a one-time opportunity to do something big to improve Cranston residents’ lives and to position our city to meet the threat of future pandemics and climate-change related disruptions. The mayor’s budget would not only squander this opportunity but leave us with an unsustainable budget for future years.

We cannot accept, and the City Council must not accept, the Mayor’s irresponsible plan to pay for his failures using the ARPA money. The people have spoken and the Mayor and the City Council must listen.

Sincerely,

The Cranston Forward Board

Stacie Potts and Karen Rosenberg (Co-chairs)

letters, editorial

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