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Text of
RI House Bill
2008
H-7777
History of
Westconnaug Purchase, 1662
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Legislative Press & Information Bureau, R.I. State
House, Room 20
2/8/2008
Rep. Gorham drafts bill creating new town of Westconnaug
New town would be comprised of Exeter, West Greenwich, Foster,
Scituate, Glocester and western Coventry
STATE HOUSE – Rep. Nicholas Gorham (R-Dist. 40, Coventry, Foster,
Glocester) has today prepared for introduction an act to
dramatically bring the towns of western Rhode Island into the 21st
Century. He proposes the creation of a new town, to be called the
Town of Westconnaug. This town will encompass the towns of Exeter,
West Greenwich, Foster, Scituate, Glocester and the part of Coventry
encompassed by the Western Coventry Fire District.
If the voters of the proposed new town vote in favor of the act at
the 2008 general election, Westconnaug would come into existence on
July 1, 2009.
The town would be governed by a seven-member town council with an
appointed town administrator. There would be a five-member school
committee appointed by the council.
The present schools in the new town – Exeter-West Greenwich, Western
Coventry, Foster, Scituate and Glocester – would become schools of
the new town, with one Superintendent of Schools.
There would be one Police Department with one Chief of Police. There
would be one Public Works Department with one Director of Public
Works.
Westconnaug’s office and town hall functions would be combined into
a single town hall with a single Town Clerk.
The act does not affect the existing fire and rescue services. Those
are presently separate volunteer companies and fire districts and
remain as they are.
The present towns of western Rhode Island were created in a time
when travel was by horse and limited areas could be served by town
government. Those days are past. There are tremendous advantages to
consolidation of services – not just in money saved by the
elimination of duplicate departments, but in professional and
efficient government.
The existing schools of the district offer a good example of savings
and efficiency. There would be a single superintendent instead of
the present six. There would be a single administrative staff.
Presently some of the children in the district are bused for half an
hour when a school in a neighboring town is five minutes away.
Scituate is pressed for space and facilities for a middle school,
while Ponaganset has a brand new middle school that is enrolled
below capacity, and half a mile from Scituate. Consolidation into
one school district would bring initial savings in the millions of
dollars and a better education system for our children through more
course offerings, less time on buses and full curriculum
coordination, with additional savings in the years ahead.
A single Police Department also makes sense and will produce a
dramatic savings. Exeter faces a charge of $25,000 per month to
continue its Rhode Island State Police coverage. Scituate and Foster
have antiquated police offices. Combined police dispatch would save
time and create efficiencies.
Dramatic savings would also be achieved by one Public Works
Department.
The savings and efficiencies go on and on. Property taxes will
decrease, and government services will improve.
This is an act whose time has come. Representative Gorham expects a
great deal of discussion and some vigorous opposition from those who
are entrenched in their individual towns, but he also expects that
the taxpayers and residents of the town to be – Westconnaug – will
see the value of coming into the 21st Century.
For more information, contact:
Joseph Kasegian, House Minority Office
jkasegian@rilin.state.ri.us
State House Room 106
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2259
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