Mayor Correia highlights budget proposal

There was both good and bad announced in mayor Correia’s budget proposal at Government Center this morning .

The highlight for many city residents will be the removal of the Pay As You Throw program. No more purple bags would be needed under this proposal after a 90 day waiting period due to a contractual obligation.

Another highlight of the mayor’s budget is more hiring and equipment at the Fall River Police Department. Four more police cars, one crime analyst, and four patrolling officers are built into the proposal. This will bring the Police Department to 236. Net school spending would also be exceeded in Correia’s budget plan.

Street sweeping, streetscapes, pothole repair, and sidewalk improvements are also to be seen.

A part of the budget that residents may not be happy about is a property tax increase of 2.5%. Also the fees for some parking meters will increase from 50 cents to $1.

Several new positions at Government Center would be added to help maintain city properties including the hiring of a carpenter, electrician, and project manager.

The budget proposal will head to the City Council for approval.