With the General Assembly approaching the final months of the legislative session, mayors and town managers urged the legislature Monday to not impose new unfunded mandates on Rhode Island cities and towns.
The local officials said they are contending with tight budgets and that additional spending required by legislation would make things worse.
“When we hear about newly proposed legislation, our primary concern is not to oppose or debate its merits,” said Coventry Town Council President Hillary Lima during a news conference in the Statehouse Library. “But rather our concerns are centered on what the fiscal impact will be, because it means we must immediately start thinking about what service or function will have to see cuts, or worse, be eliminated, to make way for the impact of new unfunded mandates.”
Public safety unions have pressed for years to extend various health-related benefits for their members.
One such bill cited by mayors and town managers would extend injured-on-duty benefits for police and firefighters diagnosed as suffering from a post-traumatic stress injury.
“We obviously support the mental health of our public safety employees, but there are significant issues with this version of the bill,” said North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi, referring to legislation in the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
In particular, Lombardi said, the bill emphasizes cash payouts rather than treatment and services.
In addition to their concern on unfunded mandates, mayors and town managers said decisions on zoning and land use should be left to local governments.
Ernie Almonte, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, the lobbying group that organized the news conference, said he believes the House is close to reaching a compromise on a bill to overhaul the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, known as LEOBOR.
Critics say LEOBOR blocks effective internal discipline of police, and that attempts to overhaul the law have failed to move forward in recent years.
The Senate passed a LEOBOR reform bill earlier in the current legislative session and the issue has stalled in the House.
Municipal leaders said they back expanding the suspension period without a LEOBOR hearing up to 10 days; changing the LEOBOR hearing committee to a standing group of five people with three permanent members, at least two who have a background in law enforcement or labor law; and sharing any costs for LEOBOR hearings equally between the employer and the officer’s representatives.
Asked for comment on a potential compromise, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi said in a statement, “Meaningful LEOBOR reform is one of my priorities in this legislative session and we continue to work closely with the Senate and all interested parties in the hopes of meeting that goal in the coming weeks.”