At its next meeting this Tuesday night, the Fall River City Council will vote on confirming Mayor Paul Coogan’s choice of Jeffrey Cardoza as police chief, moving ahead on three school bus contracts, and approving a one-month budget to begin FY 2021.
Mayor Coogan announced the appointment of Chief Cardoza earlier last month but just recently completed negotiations on terms of a three-year contract. Under the agreement, the chief will be paid an annual maximum salary of $175,000 a year. Among the benefits in the package are 30 vacation days a year, 15 sick days a year, and 11 paid holidays a year. The chief will not be entitled to overtime pay, compensatory time, personal days, or bereavement leave.
The School Department is seeking council approval of three school bus contracts, each with a term of five years, totaling approximately $4.278 million dollars a year. Here is a breakdown of each contract up for approval:
- Regular Transporation: Amaral’s Bus Comany, Inc. – $2,309,440.00
- McKinney Vento Van Transportation: Tremblay’s Bus Company, LLC- $1,814,032.80
- Athletic & Activity Bus Transportation: Fisher Bus, Inc.- $155,312.50
Finally, the mayor is asking the council to approve a one-month budget for July to start FY 2021. Mayors were granted the option through state legislation to delay the adoption of a full-year budget as local governments wait to see if federal aid will be provided to help in recovering the loss of revenue for states and municipalities due to COVID-19. Under the city charter, the mayor is required to submit a budget to the city council by May 15th of each year.
The mayor is seeking approval of a one-month budget totaling $24,750,167. It is the mayor’s intention to submit a complete FY 2021 budget by July 31, unless revenue sources are still uncertain. If that is the case, the mayor will continue to submit a one-month budget for up to three additional months.
The City Council Ordinance Committee will meet Tuesday at 5:45pm, followed by a public hearing at 6:30 pm, the Finance Committee at 6:40 pm and the full Council at 7:00 pm.
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