Coventry taxpayers fight fire proposal

COVENTRY, R.I. (WPRI) – A battle is brewing between one community’s fire department and town residents.

Taxpayers voiced their disapproval Monday night after officials from the Central Coventry Fire District asked them to approve their new budget without knowing how much it would hike their fire tax bills.

Residents like Conrad Burns and Dave Gervais were among those speaking out against the plan.

“You don’t know this, you don’t know that, you don’t know anything, Burns said.

“Every year I come here, and every year we’re going to do an audit,” Gervais said. “How many years have you been here and how many audits have you done?  None!”

Eyewitness News has learned that an audit of the district’s finances is now underway.

The Central Coventry Fire District is $1.6 million in the red, according to the district’s own treasurer’s report.

New Fire Chief Andrew Baynes confirms the district has not been making payments to Blue Cross for health insurance for several months.

Former Fire Chief Robert Seltzer is now the fire chief in Smithfield.

A decision on the tax rate was postponed until December 3 ^rd.