Ward: Study Of Woonsocket Supplemental Tax May Take Too Long

Hours after The House Finance Committee tabled a supplemental tax to study it further, City Council President John Ward said the development could put Woonsocket's financial future in the RI Director of Revenue's hands.

Tabling the measure does leave the option of approving the open, Ward said, but the matter hinges on how much time they take to decide.

If the Finance Committee doesn't take action to move the bill today, they might not get to it until next week. "Time is certainly a problem for us here," Ward said. Without the supplemental tax, Woonsocket will run out of money by the end of May, reports Director of Finance Thomas Bruce. That leaves the city 15 days.

If the Finance Committee doesn't vote on the supplemental tax act until next week, Ward said, state intervention in the form of a budget commission is likely. 

Ward said he hopes to get an idea about how the Finance Committee is leaning from Gallogly. If the outlook isn't good, he said, "She would be required to take the next action."