Gayle Corrigan Named Acting EG Town Manager

EAST GREENWICH, RI— Sue Cienki, town council president, announced on Monday that the council has appointed Gayle Corrigan acting Town Manager. She is replacing Thomas E. Coyle, III. The council met in closed door executive session at 8 a.m. Monday. Corrigan, a financial consultant, recently presented the council and the school department with the 'One Town' approach to budgeting.

Recently, the council voted 4-1 to adopt a budget for Fiscal Year 2018 using the One Town approach. The vote broke along party lines, with the four Republicans in favor and the one Democrat opposed. There was some controversy about the meeting procedure in that there was no open comment period allowed, according to one resident who attended.

"Gayle Corrigan has identified a fiscally responsible way to make the Town of East Greenwich more efficient," said Cienki. "The One Town approach allows us to remain a top performing school district, and removing administrative burdens to allow for a more concerted focus on students and educational outcomes. We expect Ms. Corrigan to implement these changes while we begin a search for a full-time Town Manager."

Here is the press release the Patch received.

"The East Greenwich Town Council today appointed Gayle Corrigan of Providence Analytics as Acting Town Manager to begin implementation of the town's $61.9M Fiscal Year 2018 budget. The 2018 One Town budget delivers on the Council's promise to reduce the tax burden while maintaining top-tier town and public education services. The One Town budget reins in burdensome administrative expenses that previously jeopardized the town’s fiscal health and reverses the town’s 30-year trajectory of tax increases.

"Corrigan has extensive experience in business and municipal turnarounds. In March, Corrigan’s firm was hired to conduct an independent analysis of the East Greenwich School Department’s projected deficit, which was reported by the School Department to the RI Auditor General in December, 2016. The firm was also retained by the town to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the East Greenwich municipal budget. Providence Analytics found an emerging structural deficit in the School Department and areas of deficiencies on both sides, including misleading budget practices, systemic purchasing inefficiencies and fiscally unsustainable collective bargaining agreements. Providence Analytics presented a combined One Town school and municipal balanced Fiscal Year 2018 budget based on consolidated administrative services, including shared purchasing, and expenditure controls.

"Cuts in state aid and drastic increases in the town's contribution to union contracts and retirement plans have resulted in significant property tax increases every year for a 30-year period. From 1987 to 2016, the tax levy has increased 390%—an increase nearly 4 times that of the rate of inflation—from $11.6M to $57M. East Greenwich tax rates are 30-53% higher than Barrington, Smithfield, Portsmouth, South Kingstown, and Westerly.

"The precedent-setting adoption of the One Town budget reverses the town's 30-year trajectory of tax increases by bringing together all departments and budgets, including the School District, to deliver a united enterprise that enables tighter management and financial oversight. Councilors have noted that the new cost-saving measures are largely administrative and will not affect residents or services."