Central Falls mayor introduces his first city budget

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. -- Mayor James A. Diossa Tuesday night introduced his budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 and the expenditures are more than $200,000 less than was allotted in the Debt Adjustment Plan that was approved by the federal Bankruptcy Court last year.

The $16,681,165 budget was delivered to the City Council, which will hold public hearings on the spending plans on Thursday and next Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the City Hall council chambers.

Diossa did not touch the debt adjustment plan that calls for 4 percent property tax increases this year. He also plans on hiring a school resource officer for the first time since June 2011 and spent about $30,000 to hire professional grant writers to find more money.