A grandfather and child looking across Warwick's waterfront

The Taxpayers’ Voice

Planning Warwick’s Future

Better Planning Today. A Stronger Warwick Tomorrow.

Warwick faces serious long-term financial challenges. Ignoring them will mean higher taxes, fewer services, and a harder future for our seniors, families, small business, and future generations.

My commitment is to plan ahead, make smarter decisions, and protect what matters most—our residents, our neighborhoods, and our city’s future.

The Financial Evidence

What the Numbers Tell Us

Warwick’s financial challenges did not develop overnight. These three trends show why better long-term planning cannot wait.

Future Bond Debt

$448 Million

Estimated bonded debt by 2029

Chart showing Warwick city and school bonded debt increasing through 2029

The construction of two new high schools will significantly increase Warwick’s bonded debt and require substantial annual debt payments for decades.

Planning School Resources

13 Schools

2024–25 enrollment compared with building capacity

Warwick elementary school utilization table showing current enrollment compared with building utilization

Planning for Warwick’s future means regularly evaluating whether school facilities, enrollment, and operating costs remain aligned. Long-term planning helps taxpayers understand future financial obligations while ensuring educational resources continue to meet students’ needs.

City Budget New Spending

$42 Million

Increase during the most recent ten-year period

Pie chart showing how new Warwick city tax revenue was allocated over the last ten years

Every annual budget begins with financial commitments that have already been made. These include current employee compensation—including salaries, healthcare, and payroll taxes—as well as retirement obligations such as pensions and retiree healthcare earned through prior years of service.

We cannot change the decisions made yesterday.

But we can improve the decisions we make tomorrow.

My Platform

The Numbers Tell Us Warwick Must Plan Ahead

Warwick’s financial challenges will not be solved by one budget or one election. They require a long-term strategy that identifies future costs early, measures results, and gives taxpayers the information they need before major decisions are made.

My Plan for

Warwick’s Financial Future

Create a Long-Term Financial Planning Committee

Establish a City Council committee dedicated to examining Warwick’s long-term financial condition rather than focusing only on the next annual budget.

The committee would review:

  • Projected revenues and spending
  • Debt obligations
  • Pension and retiree healthcare costs
  • School funding
  • Capital and infrastructure needs
  • Major financial risks facing taxpayers

Maintain a Living Five-Year Financial Forecast

Require the City to maintain and regularly update a five-year forecast that reflects current financial information and changing assumptions.

The forecast should show taxpayers:

  • Where revenues are expected to come from
  • Which expenses are growing
  • The future cost of debt and employee benefits
  • Whether recurring revenues can support recurring expenses
  • Where future budget gaps may develop

Require Financial-Impact Reviews Before Major Decisions

Before the Council approves major borrowing, labor agreements, new programs, or recurring spending, taxpayers should be shown both the immediate cost and the projected long-term impact.

Each major proposal should answer:

  • What will it cost next year?
  • What will it cost in five years?
  • How will it be funded?
  • What alternatives were considered?
  • What financial risks are being passed to future taxpayers?

Conduct Operational Reviews and Audits When Needed

The committee should have the ability to recommend targeted operational reviews or audits when spending trends, service problems, or financial risks require closer examination.

The purpose would be to identify:

  • Outdated practices
  • Duplicated services
  • Opportunities to modernize
  • Areas where resources may be better aligned with community needs
  • Whether programs are achieving their intended results

Give Taxpayers Clearer and Earlier Information

Financial information should be made available before major decisions are finalized—not after taxpayers have little opportunity to influence the outcome.

The City should publish understandable summaries of:

  • The five-year forecast
  • Major debt obligations
  • Budget risks
  • Audit and operational-review findings
  • The long-term impact of major proposals
  • Recommendations being considered by the committee

Better planning will not eliminate every difficult decision.

It will allow Warwick to identify problems earlier, consider more options, and give taxpayers a meaningful voice in determining the City’s priorities.

Warwick’s future is not predetermined.

The decisions we make today will determine whether our city remains affordable, financially stable, and able to provide the services residents depend upon.