Smithfield Passes 2027 Budget Article Quote BFRB member Ken Sousa was less optimistic. He said the town is relying on its fund balance to balance the budget. In 2020, he said Smithfield had a fund balance of $20 million. By the end of next year, that balance could be as low as $7.6 million. Clarification…
Category: Fiscal Policy & Budgeting
FY2027 Budget & Fiscal Policy (Part II)
Introduction This article is Part II of the Editorial for the FY2027 Budget & Fiscal Policy discussion. If you wish to view Part I, click here. Discussion #3 New Fire Station The bonding which was approved a few years ago by the voters has not been drawn down. In simple terms, we have not…
FY2027 Budget Recap (Part I)
FY2027 Budget — How did we get here? Not sure where to start. However, let’s amplify the facts that seem to have been lost over the last week. Before I begin, some frank and honest words. I have never seen a budget like this one. The political “rhetoric” from one member of Town leadership has…
FY2027 Budget Recap (Part II)
Updated/Published July 3, 2026 Budget Meeting Process — Timeline Summary So, we began. Here are the meeting statistics as of June 16. Almost 21 hours of meetings, which does not include the efforts outside of the official meetings (meetings with departments, emails, phone calls, pre-meeting reviews, endless spreadsheet creations!) No meeting videos were March 10…
FY2027 Budget & Fiscal Policy (Part I)
Introduction At Smithfield RI budget and Financial Review Board meeting on Tuesday, April 7, the Smithfield Public School Department provided a presentation on their FY2027 budget. As an educator, I am committed to delivering a quality education to my students. Just ask them!! Haha. Education has changed my life and career. Here are the thoughts…
Town of Smithfield — 5 Year Financial Analysis
This document consists of an executive summary of the two documents compiled in January 2026 consisting of both the report and spreadsheet analysis pages. This document provides a clear, structured summary of the fiscal analysis report for the Town of Smithfield, RI. The full documents were provided to the Town’s leadership in January 2026. This…
Making a Meal with Several Hands in the Pot — A Refreshing Part 2
Complicated situations can often generate opinions and thoughts from various people and constituencies. And the depth and variation of these thoughts can develop a life of its own. Often, with emotions, strategies, personal objectives, and perspectives. If you wish to read Part 1 (November 2025), click here. What Now? I decided to postpone the second…
Making a Meal with Several Hands in the Pot (Part 1)
Complicated situations can often generate opinions and thoughts from various people and constituencies. And the depth and variation of these thoughts can develop a life of its own. Often, with emotions, strategies, personal objectives, and perspectives. The current situation associated with the Smithfield School Department appears to be gathering tremendous attention in the last months….
Analysis of Budget and Metrics (FY2026) — Fire Department
Fire Department Analysis of Metrics It is important to compile an appropriate budget recommendation, the members of the Budget and Financial Review Board must review several historical records. The Town’s spreadsheet has several previous fiscal years (actual) as well as the current fiscal year (recommended, approved, and actual spending). The spreadsheet is very dense with…
Smithfield Municipal Court — To Be or Will Be?
To Start … Before the 2024 election, this subject started to be discussed. In calls that were discussed with me, I provided an objective, factual narrative about the past history on this subject. Now on to the objective discussion. A Decade Retrospective This subject began with discussions from March 2015. See compilation of minutes document…
