North Kingstown Taxpayers Organization

Regular meetings are held to discuss consolidation of NK Town and Schools administrative functions.

This current situation requires an access to move forward without delay or opportunities we face as a community to effect savings and efficiencies may be lost. It is important to have these discussions as we must be proactive and not reactive.  The reality is that we continue to have double digit increases in our funding requirement for our pension obligations. The spending caps and the tax levy caps that are in place by the State and by the Town require the Council and School Committee to have a sense of responsibility to implement programs and introduce efficient programs that will allow us to live within those caps, but also continue the programs that are important to our citizens.

Washington County Consolidation Group (WCCG), which also includes East Greenwich, is planning to have presentations at various Town council meetings throughout WC over the next few months

Over the past several months "Consolidation" or "Regionalization" has been discussed at the State House and in local communities all over Rhode Island, as a means to deal with the deep financial crisis. In the face of lower tax revenues, cuts in State aid and increasing commodity prices, how can we keep the same or better levels of public services? Children need to be educated, roads need to be fixed and public safety has to remain a priority.

Washington County Consolidation Group is just one grass roots effort born out of the need to deal with these issues. The group consists of Town Council, School Committee and citizen's from across Southern RI, with a focus on not only consolidation of Municipal and schools support functions within a town and consolidation of services between Towns but to promote knowledge sharing from one community to the next.