Cranston Mayor Kenneth Hopkins presented the city's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget to the City Council this week, a $342 million spending plan that holds the property tax rate flat for the third consecutive year while making targeted investments in public safety, road infrastructure, and school facilities.

The budget, which represents a 3.2 percent increase over the current year's appropriation, is balanced without the use of reserve funds and without a tax rate increase — a fiscal achievement that Hopkins attributed to disciplined spending management, strong revenue growth from commercial development, and the city's improving bond rating, which has reduced debt service costs.

"Three years of flat property taxes in an inflationary environment is not an accident," Hopkins said at a press conference at City Hall. "It is the result of hard choices, careful management, and a commitment to living within our means."

The budget includes $4.2 million for road resurfacing, $2.8 million for school building maintenance, and a 3 percent salary increase for police and fire personnel — the first pay increase for public safety employees in two years. The police department will also receive funding for two additional patrol officers, bringing the department's authorized strength to 212 officers.

The Cranston City Council, which must approve the budget by June 30, is expected to hold public hearings in May. Council President John Lanni praised the mayor's fiscal discipline but said the council will "scrutinize every line item" to ensure taxpayer money is being spent efficiently.

Conservative fiscal watchdogs gave the budget a generally positive review, noting that Cranston's per-capita spending remains among the lowest of Rhode Island's five largest cities. "Mayor Hopkins has demonstrated that you can run a city government responsibly without constantly raising taxes," said Cranston Taxpayers Association President Frank Picozzi.