Title 45
Towns and Cities

Chapter 2
General Powers

§ 45-2-3.1. Powers of certain towns.

(a) The towns of Hopkinton, West Greenwich, Richmond, and Charlestown may, at any legal meeting, grant and vote sums of money that they judge necessary:

(1) For the purchase of sites for, and for the erection and repair of, town houses and other public buildings;

(2) For the support of schools, and purchase of sites for and the building and repair of schoolhouses; and for the establishing and maintaining of school libraries;

(3) For the use of hospitals, to be expended and paid under limitations and conditions prescribed from time to time by the town council;

(4) For the support and maintenance of the poor, and the purchase, erection, and repair of proper buildings for the accommodation of the poor, as well as for the purchase of proper sites for these buildings, and, if they judge expedient, of farms or farm lands, for the employment and support of paupers and others chargeable to them;

(5) For the purchase of proper sites for houses of correction and reform schools for juvenile offenders, and the purchase, erection, and repair of proper buildings, fixtures, and apparatus for these sites, and the purchase of lands for the employment and support of the inmates of these sites;

(6) For the laying out, making, repairing, and amending of highways;

(7) For the building, repairing, and amending of bridges;

(8) For the improvement, in any manner they may deem fit, of any property belonging to the town;

(9) For the public health, welfare, recreation, sanitation and landfill, public safety, fire protection, awards and ceremonies, transportation for any of its citizens, university of Rhode Island cooperative extension, mental health, child services, job development and training programs, energy conservation programs, medical and health clinics and services, athletics, and parks and libraries, including the granting and voting of sums to be paid to profit and non-profit corporations which may, in the opinion of those voting, provide any of these services to the town or towns;

(10) For any other services, expenses, or charges deemed to be in the best interests of the town or towns by a majority of those voting; the grant and vote by a majority of those voting is prima facie evidence that the expenditure and appropriation is permitted under this section; and

(11) For all necessary charges and expenses arising within the town, whether incidental or not to the items enumerated in this section.

(b) It shall be the duty of the appropriate elected and appointed officials of any town to carry into effect any and all authorized appropriations.

(c) Any grant, vote, or appropriation of sums already made for any of the above charges, expenses, and services by any of the towns are hereby ratified in every respect.