Budget Hearing Set for June 18

Mayor Joseph Polisena is scheduled to propose his fiscal 2013 spending plan to the Johnston Town Council on June 18 at 7 pm at the Johnston Municipal Court.

Following roughly four months of preparation — including the — Polisena is expected to bring his plan to the council for discussion and a vote on Monday night.

During a phone interview yesterday morning, Polisena confirmed the schedule of the hearing, and provided an optimistic assessment of the budget.

"There's good news in it for everybody," Polisena explained.

As has been his practice in the past, Polisena declined to discuss the specifics of the spending plan until the formal ordinance outlining the budget is filed with the town clerk's office, expected later this week.

Leading up to this point, Polisena had said repeatedly that he hoped to keep all departments at current spending levels for fiscal 2013 — including the school district, which would be level-funded for a fifth straight year.

One of the final variables to be confirmed is the amount of state aid being provided to Johnston. The state House of Representatives passed its budget bill on June 8, and the Senate was scheduled to meet last night to consider the $8.1 billion spending proposal.

The fiscal 2012 budget stands at $89.56 million, with a tax rate of $24.75 per $1,000 of assessed value and a 20-percent homestead exemption on owner-occupied homes.

Watch JohnstonPatch for further updates on the town budget later this week.

Past coverage on this topic:

• , Apr. 1, 2012
• Mar. 26, 2012
• , Mar. 21, 2012
• ,Mar. 19, 2012
• , Mar. 16, 2012
• Mar. 8, 2012