By Andy Smith
WARWICK, R.I. -- State General Treasurer Gina M. Raimondo said Friday the state will take whatever legal steps are necessary to recover money owed to the state retirement system by the financially-troubled Central Coventry Fire District.
Raimondo said the district, scheduled to close as of midnight Thursday, now owes about $656,000. If the district is liquidated, however, the tab could be as high as $6 million to pay for the pensions of the 66 people in the fire district who are part of the state's Municipal Employees Retirement System (MERS).
Raimondo is chairwoman of the state Retirement Board, which discsussed the situation in executive session at a special meeting Friday morning.