The Providence Journal/Bob Breidenbach
West Warwick Town Council President Angelo A. Padula Jr. gives his insight at an Oct. 30 meeting saying the council is trying to help the citizens of West Warwick. Gallery: West Warwick's fiscal crisis.
WEST WARWICK, R.I. -- The state deadline for the town to come up with measures to reduce a projected million-dollar budget deficit has come and gone with no plan in place.
Instead, Town Council President Angelo Padula said Town Manager Michael Stampfler called state Department of Revenue director Rosemary Booth Gallogly. He told her that the town had failed to reach consensus before Nov. 11, the date when all municipalities with pension plans "in critical status" -- that is funded below 60 percent -- were to submit corrective action plans.
Padula is not hopeful that West Warwick will be able to come up with a plan. He expects the state to eventually step in, possibly through the formation of a budget commission that would impose cost savings.
"We shouldn't have gotten to this point," he said.