Cranston council approves April 15 deadline for mayor’s FY2027 budget after administration cites staff turnover

Cranston — The Cranston City Council on March 30 approved a resolution moving the deadline for the mayor to submit the proposed fiscal year 2027 operating and capital budgets to the council to April 15, 2026.

Council president Wahl introduced the measure at a special council meeting and asked that it be referred to the finance committee; the referral passed on a roll-call vote. The finance committee met later that evening and voted to approve the resolution by roll call. The full council then recorded a final approval and adjourned.

The change responds to an administration request prompted in part by recent turnover in the city’s finance leadership and by continuing uncertainty in school funding, administration officials said. "The City of Cranston is the first and only municipality in the state of Rhode Island that is supposed to have the chief executive submit their budget to the council by April 1," said Director Muradi, who briefed the committee. Muradi said workforce reductions and voluntary retirements are under way and that extra time would allow staff to scrutinize line items and work to mitigate personnel impacts.

Wahl told members he had met with the mayor and the acting finance director and described the circumstances as "extraordinary," noting a recent finance director resignation and an interim finance resource in place to help complete the budget. He said the extension would give the administration the "best possible chance to come up with a good budget," but cautioned that any extension shortens the council’s own deliberation window under the charter.

Committee members emphasized that they oppose layoffs and pressed the administration to be ready for department head interviews scheduled for April 17–18. Mayor Traficante spoke in support of the administration’s plan and expressed confidence in the finance resource assisting the city.

The resolution sets the mayor’s submission deadline at April 15, 2026. Council roll calls taken during the evening show members present voting yes and the measure passing in both the finance committee and the full council. The meeting record includes no in-person or online public comments on the docketed item.

Next steps: With the submission deadline extended to April 15, the administration will prepare and deliver the proposed FY2027 operating and capital budgets to the council; the council retains the chartered deadline by which it must complete deliberations.