Ballot Question Told Voters One Thing But Town Council Proposes To Do Another
A majority of the Charlestown Town Council is considering using money designated by voters in 2015 for one thing—preservation of open space—for something else.
The voters’ intent is clear. The ballot language presented to the voters reads as follows:
“Shall the Town of Charlestown finance the acquisition, preservation or protection of open space or any interest therein alone or in conjunction with federal agencies, state agencies, land conservancies, land trusts or preservation organizations for preservation and approve the issuance of bonds and notes therefor in an amount not to exceed $2,000,000?” [Emphasis added.]
As a result of the vote in 2015, four important (and popular) properties were acquired, preserved, or protected. The Patricia Sprague Forest Preserve, which abuts the Pawcatuck River, was acquired in 2016, and Tucker Woods Preserve on Alton Carolina Road was acquired in 2021. The Pasquisset Pond Preserve on Old Coach Road (across from the South Farm Preserve) was expanded and the expansion, which includes Black Pond, was acquired and protected in 2018. Also in 2018, the town acquired a strip of forested land next to the Town Hall.
Each of the expenditures, except that for the land next to the Town Hall, was made in conjunction with a state agency, a land trust, or a land conservancy and paid for using funds the town had in hand.
If the expenditures had been financed with borrowed money, taxpayers would have had to pay the costs of issuing the three bonds when the bonds were issued, and, in addition, taxpayers, including current and future taxpayers, would have to pay interest on the money borrowed and pay the money back.
Nonetheless, Councilor Deb Carney proposed at the meeting on August 12 that the Town Council issue a bond up to the $2 million authorized in 2015. She proposed using $1 million of the new borrowing to “reimburse” the account from which the funds were taken even though she provided no evidence that this is required, nor did she identify which account the money would go to.
Because slightly over $1 million has already been spent to preserve open space, it makes no sense that it would be OK for the Town Council to issue a bond in order to be able to spend the money again—effectively spending the money authorized twice.
Councilor Carney also proposed using the approximately $1 million remaining for something other than preservation of open space, which does not seem to be OK either.
Councilor Steve Stokes was the only member of the Town Council to object to Councilor Carney’s proposal. He noted that the town’s Bond Counsel had advised a previous Town Council in May 2022 that, even when bonding authority is granted, there is no obligation to issue bonds and that there is no requirement to “reimburse” the accounts used.
The additional $1 million has not been spent because the current Town Council does not support the preservation of open space, that is, land that would protect our drinking water, our fresh- and saltwater ponds, and wildlife habitat.
For example, a previous Town Council worked to acquire the Saw Mill Pond watershed on Carolina Back Road. That Town Council had applied for and been awarded a matching $400,000 Natural Heritage Grant from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to be applied toward the purchase, and obtaining additional funding through the US Fish and Wildlife Service was a possibility. However, because one member of the current Town Council actively blocked the purchase of the Saw Mill Pond watershed, the opportunity for the town to purchase the property was lost.
Even if none of the members of the current Town Council support acquiring open space and even if they are not going to use the money for preservation, they do not need to, and should not, spend it for something else without voter approval.
In addition, if the current Town Council now needs to borrow money to finance its spending, taxpayers should be told why money needs to be borrowed and asked if they approve of the borrowing—in addition to being asked if they approve what they will need to pay for.
In short, telling the voters one thing in a ballot question and then proposing to do something very different is pretty cynical.
The banner image is a photograph of a juvenile Bald Eagle by John Zoldak. One of the many species that benefits from Charlestown’s preserved open space.