Harbor commission urges dedicated fund; council sets 6 p.m. budget hearings

Warren — The Harbor Management Commission asked the Town Council to recognize a harbor management fund as a budget goal so that recurring harbor-generated revenues — mooring fees, dock fees and similar user charges — are reserved for waterfront maintenance and improvements rather than absorbed into the general fund.

Greg Hunt, the commission's vice chairman, told the council the town has collected on average about $40,000 to $60,000 more per year in harbor-related revenue than it spent on harbor operations; over the past three fiscal years he said harbor revenue exceeded harbor operating expenses by roughly 45–55 percent. Hunt asked council to direct staff to evaluate creating a restricted harbor management fund consistent with guidance from the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council so surplus revenue is available for maintenance, capital replacement, public access improvements and required local matches for state or federal grants. "This would not raise taxes," he said, "it would not require new fees, and it does not remove the council's oversight."

Separately, after public input on budget scheduling, councilors voted to close the earlier hearing and set the start time for upcoming budget hearings on Wednesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 25 at 6:00 p.m.

Next steps: Council asked staff to evaluate the harbor-fund proposal during the budget-development process and to return a recommendation for the FY26–27 budget.