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Mayor cites financial stability, service maintenance as reasons
ATTLEBORO - Mayor Kevin Dumas said he's "excited" about the city's prospects in 2011.
That's not a word chosen by most chief executives in cities and towns across the recession-ravaged state, but Dumas said it's appropriate in Attleboro's case.
Tight financial management producing healthy rainy day accounts, coupled with a constant eye on the future and intense planning efforts have left the city in a position to maintain and in some cases improve services and infrastructure, the mayor said as he wrapped up his seventh year in office.
"We're one of a very few number of communities that has been able to maintain its level of services," he said. "And we're constantly trying to think of ways to do more with less money. I'm excited about 2011."
One major improvement will be the addition of a third ambulance to the fire department's burgeoning emergency medical services role.
It's the first time in city history three ambulances will be on call. The new ambulance will run out of Briggs Corner Station and cut 2.5 miles and crucial minutes off runs to a huge stretch of the southeastern part of the city.
There will be no added cost to the city because all firefighters added to the department to fill vacancies over the past few years are paramedics, and ambulances are bought out of cash raised from insurance payments for emergency runs.
Another important achievement anticipated by Dumas is related to finance.
Years of belt tightening and a focus on increasing the stability of the city's finances could lead to an upgrade in the city's bond rating, lowering future borrowing costs and saving money for other services, the mayor said.
"If we have one more year of success, we'll be up for an upgrade in our bond rating in 2011," Dumas said. "That would result in direct savings on every dollar we borrow going forward and would be a huge accomplishment."
Dumas said bond rating firms have been impressed with management practices and the city's ability to create a stabilization fund of about $2.4 million and a free cash account of about $1.1 million in times which have resulted in dire circumstances for some other communities.
The ability to create surpluses has enabled the city to make capital improvements without having to borrow, which also saves the city money, Dumas said.
As for infrastructure, streetscape improvements, including new sidewalks and street lighting, are to start again in the summer.
Phase II of that initiative will run south on Union Street to Capron Street. The improvements will also be installed on Mill Street, Railroad Avenue and South Main Street between Mill and County streets.
While Phase I relied on state road money and city labor, Phase II will be mostly paid for by the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority, which will pick up 80 percent of the tab.
Meanwhile, grants are expected to pay for the replacement of conventional lamps in traffic signals with LED lamps. The reduction in wattage will save the city cash on its electric bill, the mayor said.
New roofs are set for installation at Hyman Fine, Studley and Hill-Roberts elementary schools and a new translucent wall is scheduled for construction in the high school gym.
The total cost of those projects will be about $3.4 million, but the city is expecting to be reimbursed about 58 percent by the state's school building authority, leaving a bill of about $1.46 million.
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