Mayors upset after State of the State

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Mayors from communities across Rhode Island who attended Governor Donald Carcieri's final State of the State address are not happy with the Governor's plan to force more cuts on the municipal level to balance the state budget.

One of the governor's proposals would mandate that municipal workers take a pay cut for two years. Providence Mayor David Cicilline is arguing that he has already done what the governor is urging.

"In the management of city hall I have imposed furlough days, which are pay cuts. In addition, I've increased their co-share on their health insurance by 20 percent," said Mayor Cicilline.

The mayor fears that cutting aid to cities and town could trigger high property taxes.

On Tuesday night, right after the governor's address Cicilline said, "Nobody lives in the dome of the State House. "Everybody in Rhode Island lives in a city or a town, so when you take those costs and you shift that burden onto families already struggling, that is not an answer."

"We represent 2.3% of the budget," Cumberland Mayor Daniel McKee told us. "But, we are being asked to absorb 30% of the state deficit."

Cranston Mayor Allan Fung says he has already cut municipal spending in his city "to the bone."

"He tells a lot of what he's done in government," Mayor Fung says. "We've done the same thing in the city of Cranston. We've laid off a lot of people. I've gotten those salary reductions from many of my unions."

The mayors all agree that more deep cuts could mean the closure of some services.

During his address, the Governor did call on lawmakers to revoke certain non-funded state mandates to help reduce municipal operating costs. He also urged communities to consolidate as many services as possible to operate more efficiently.