RI fire district that has chief problems also has money problems
Previous coverage of Coventry Fire District here & here
Remember Paul Labbadia the Rhode Island fire chief on suspension with pay after a news crew followed his department vehicle for months and found him drinking, playing golf and some other questionable activity? Labbadia’s fire district that wasn’t doing a very good job of keeping tabs on the chief seems to be having some similar problems with money. The Coventry Fire District’s financial difficulties made news yesterday (Wednesday) as did a new development that could impact the chief’s future. (Thanks to Brandon for sending along this story.)
At a meeting Wednesday night, the board of directors met in executive session to appoint an attorney, William Harsch, to oversee an independent investigation into Labbadia. Meanwhile, the board also ran through budget figures which indicate hundreds of thousands of dollars in uncollected back taxes, as well as a budget facing major shortfalls.
“Of course we’re concerned. If you lived in the district, you’d be concerned too,” Robert Di Padua, who lives in Coventry, said. “There’s lives at stake.”
David Gorman, the president of the Coventry Firefighters’ Union, said the Coventry Fire District is heading down exactly that road.
His union represents firefighters in both districts, and Gorman said he watched the Central Coventry Fire District go through receivership.
In total, the district’s budget is more than $500,000 in the red.
