Senate Committee Passes Enabling Legislation

by Billy Kepner | Jun 21, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-15, Ward-5, Ward-7

Rhode Island Senate Housing and Municipal Government Committee

Passes City Council’s Enabling Legislation to Enact a Homestead Exemption

Last night after more than three hours of testimony, the Rhode Island Senate Housing and Municipal Government Committee, Chaired by Senator Frank Lombardo, III, unanimously passed enabling legislation that would allow for the City Council to move forward with a homestead tax exemption.

In addition to the Senate’s Housing and Municipal Government Committee’s passage, the City Council voted 9-1 in support of the enabling legislation. Council President Sabina Matos, Councilman John Igliozzi, Councilman David Salvatore, Councilman Seth Yurdin, and Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune were at the State House for the Committee’s hearing and were absent from the Council meeting.

“Tonight was a victory for the residents of Providence,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “The Council received the Mayor’s proposed budget, calling for an additional $15M in spending, which included a tax proposal that my team felt was inequitable. We are willing and continue to work with the Mayor, but we needed to put into place a mechanism that gave us options, and that is what this enabling legislation does. We appreciate and thank the Committee for their support.”

The City Council leadership team last week introduced a tax proposal that would create an even playing field for all homeowners. The proposal calls for a flat tax rate of $24.56 per $1K of assessed value and would provide a homestead exemption of 40% up to $350K of assessed value, and then a 28% homestead on every $1K of assessed value after that.

The Chairman of the Council’s Committee on Finance and Councilman John J. Igliozzi, Esq. said, “As a body, we must work to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. The plan that we have put forward will provide a break to roughly 86% of owner-occupied properties in Providence. These homeowners are working two jobs to make ends meet; they are the retirees on a fixed income who are making decisions about paying their electric bill or filling a prescription; and they are the single parents trying to give their families a better life. A tax increase of even $200 can be devastating to those on tight budgets. While 7% of owner-occupied properties will see a slight increase in their tax rate over the Mayor’s plan, but will still pay less in property taxes than they did last year, and finally only 7% will likely see a raise in their tax bill over last year.”

The enabling legislation was sponsored in the Rhode Island Senate by Senators Frank Ciccone, Ana Quezada and Samuel Bell all of Providence. The legislation allows for the City Council to grant a homestead exemption to the owner-occupied residencies that may be a flat amount, a uniform rate, or a variable rate based on the value of a property. The Committee is chaired by Senator Frank Lombardo III, the Vice-Chairwoman is Senator Elizabeth A. Crowley, and the Committee’s Secretary is Senator Donna M. Nesselbush, and is comprised of the following members Senators Samuel W. Bell, Hanna M. Gallo, Roger A. Picard, and Gordon E. Rogers.

“Since a freshman Councilor I have worked alongside Chairman Igliozzi on the Council’s Committee on Finance, and we have always put the needs of Providence’s residents first,” stated Majority Leader and Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Finance Jo-Ann Ryan. “Providence is facing serious financial burdens, and we have many fiscal obligations that we must meet, but meeting them on the backs of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods is not good governance. We must address inefficiencies in our dealings as a City, and we also need to address the inequities in the Mayor’s tax proposal. I believe that our plan achieves that goal.”

The Council’s Committee on Finance will continue to meet to pass a budget that is fair and equitable for all residents of Providence. Chairman Igliozzi has asked his colleagues and members of the community to make suggestions on ways to amend the budget, and other ideas on how to bring the tax rate lower. The Council has no plans to dismantle any department but is looking at keeping some programs or departments level-funded.

Enabling legislation has also been introduced in the Rhode Island House of Representatives by Representatives Daniel McKiernan, Anastasia Williams, Joseph Almeida, Charlene Lima, and Mario Mendez. They are slated to hear this matter in the coming days.

Council’s Committee on Finance to Look at Cutting the Mayor’s Proposed Budget

by Billy Kepner | Jun 18, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-5, Ward-7

Councilman John J. Igliozzi, Chairman of the Council’s Committee on Finance, on Friday, June 14, invited his Council colleagues to attend budget hearings this week to discuss potential cuts to the budget to lower the tax burden on the city’s residents. The first meeting took place this evening.

“We have a moral and ethical obligation to help the most economically challenged neighborhoods,” stated Councilman John J. Igliozzi, Esq. and chairman of the Council’s Committee on Finance. “When we received the budget from the Mayor at the end of April it included an increase of $15M over last year and a tax plan that disproportionately raised the tax levy on the lowest valued houses; while the most valued homes would see a decrease in their taxes, which ironically is only 1% of the properties in our city. How is that fair? We hear the Mayor speak about ‘equity’ all the time, but his tax plan is nothing if not inequitable. It taxes the poorest while giving the most affluent the biggest breaks. The Council Leadership team proposed a plan that we believe to be equitable, but what we keep hearing from the community is that we must cut the budget to bring down the tax rate. That’s what we plan to do.”

The Committee on Finance has begun to go line by line through the budget to make the cuts needed to keep the city running, to keep city services level, and to lower the tax burden on all residents, not just the affluent. For every $1.2M in budget cuts, we can reduce the tax rate by $0.20. A deduction of $5M from the budget would be $1 off the tax rate.

Majority Leader and Vice-Chairwoman of the Councils’ Committee on Finance Jo-Ann Ryan stated, “We have worked very hard to bring to the table a plan that is not just equitable, but fair. We will continue to look at the budget to reduce inefficiencies and reduce spending so that we can lower the tax burden further. The Council was handed a budget that called for an increase in spending of $15M, and while many of those line items are worthy of support, we can’t take from the most vulnerable to pay for them. We are committed to thinking creatively and to working outside the box to make sure that everyone is starting at the same baseline.”

The Committee on Finance is planning on holding two other meetings this week on Wednesday, June 19, and Thursday, June 20, beginning at 5:00 PM. (Please note the Committee will adjourn at 6:45 on Thursday in preparation for the regularly scheduled City Council meeting and will reopen the meeting upon the meetings completion.) The Committee will gladly take public comment on the budget and tax plans at the end of each of these meetings.

Majority Leader Ryan continued, “It is paramount that citizens get a voice in decisions that affect them, and holding open meetings, and allowing for this discourse will ensure that residents will be heard. It’s not easy governing a city with massive obligations and liabilities, and for four years we have managed not to raise taxes, but with such a significant increase in spending in the Mayor’s budget we needed to create equity. I know the Committee looks forward to hearing from the community in the coming days.”

As the Council’s Committee on Finance moves through the process they plan to examine all plausible options to pass a budget that is fair and equitable for all of Providence.

You can view the proposed budget here: Budget Book.

The Council’s Committee on Finance meetings is listed on the City Council website, on the City’s Open Meeting’s Portal, and the State’s Open Meetings Portal.

City Council Passes Pride Resolution

by Billy Kepner | Jun 7, 2019 | Council News, Press Release, Ward-1, Ward-10, Ward-11, Ward-12, Ward-13, Ward-14, Ward-15, Ward-2, Ward-3, Ward-4, Ward-5, Ward-6, Ward-7, Ward-8, Ward-9

City Council Passes Resolution Welcoming June as Pride Month

At the June 6, 2019 City Council meeting Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15) and Councilwoman Rachel M. Miller (Ward 13) introduced a resolution welcoming the month of June as PRIDE month in Providence. The resolution was unanimously passed by the full council.

“Providence is a city that welcomes everyone, regardless of their gender, race, orientation, religion or how they identify,” stated City Council President Sabina Matos. “As a Catholic, I was deeply hurt by the remarks of Bishop Tobin regarding the LGBTQIA+ community, and believe that God welcomes all and stand by Mark 12:31, ‘The second {commandment} is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’”

This year marks the 50^th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which many consider being the catalyst that moved the gay liberation movement forward. In the early hours of June 28, 1969 Trans-women and men, gays, lesbians, and their ally’s took to the streets after continued abuse at the hands of the New York City Police in a series of riots that would propel the movement forward to where we are today.

“We can’t forget that Pride’s origin was a broad social movement for equity and inclusion. That’s especially true in today’s political climate while the LGBTQIA community is organizing to stop a national rollback on some hard-won victories,” Councilwoman Rachel M. Miller stated. “As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I was angered by Bishop Tobin’s recent comments but I’m proud to create an opportunity for elected officials to be on the side of love and on the side of affirming and supporting our LGBTQIA+ community.”

The first Pride march in Providence took place in 1976 when over 70 brave men and women, marched in Kennedy Plaza, after winning the right to do so after a court battle handled by the ACLU. They were taunted by police and residents alike, yet they were not deterred. Today, known as the “76’ers,” Belle Pelegrino one of the original marchers, told The Providence Journal that, “We totally expected that when we stepped into the plaza, gunfire was going to come. We thought we were going to die.”

As noted by The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time, Rolling Stone, CNN, and countless other news outlets the Trump administration has continually rolled back almost every single LGBTQIA+ protection that were put in place by previous administrations. This is why the City Council believes it is more important than ever to memorialize and codify their support for all members of our community.

Pride is celebrated around the world during the month of June, in recognition of the Stonewall Riots that took place on the morning of June 28, 1969. This year marks the 43^rd Anniversary of Providence Pride which has grown from a march of 70 men and women to a weekend celebration that brings 1000’s of people to our city in celebration of equality and love.

In 2018, the City Council officially recognized the month of June as Pride Month in perpetuity and was passed by the full Council. The Providence City Council celebrates and recognizes the contributions, struggles, risks, and many identities of Providence’s LGBQIA+ community and their families and proudly affirms that love is love.

The City Council recognizes and thanks Rhode Island Pride for all they do to for the community not just on Pride weekend, but throughout the year. Pride takes place on Saturday, June 15 with Pridefest taking place along South Main Street (North from Memorial Boulevard and South Water Street to the South ending at Wickenden Street) from 12 pm – 7 pm. It will culminate in New England’s only illuminated night Pride Parade that begins at 8 pm and will travel down Dorrance Street, to Washington Street, to Empire Street and ends on Weybosset Street. This year’s theme is #LiveYourTruth.

For more information on Rhode Island Pride, please visit prideri.org.