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Tax Raise Spin
Watch the Spinners Spin
Senator Maryellen Goodwin, D-District 1, Providence wrote a Letter to the Editor in Friday's ProJo; unfortunately, it is not included in the online issue so I cannot provide a link: Don't blame General Assembly.
In her letter she responds to the Cicilline administration's and some City councilor's spin on the Providence property tax hike.
I covered this issue in my post of July 22nd, 14% Tax Hike.
Sen. Goodwin makes a compelling case that the responsibility for the nearly 2% property tax hike for 2006, falls squarely on the Cicilline administration's shoulders, despite their attempt to spin it so that the fault for the increase lies within the state budget.
Some of her points:
The State allocated $185 million in Education Aid to Providence, an increase of $3.8 million, by far the largest increase in the state.
Total municipal aid to Providence, a wooping $269.6 million, an increase of $14.2 million, $10 million more of an increase than any other city.
Pawtucket, the recipient of the 2nd largest amount of aid, received $186 million less than Providence.
"To suggest that the Assembly is not giving adequate aid to the City of Providence is ludicrous."
Providence tax payers pay the higest car tax, a whooping $75.78 per $1,000 of a vehicle's accessed value. The Assembly exempted $500 of that tax for Providence residents and will eliminate the car tax by 2010.
The Assembly allocated another $3.3 million to Providence through aid to Distressed Communities. Isn't it interseting to know that we live in a distresed community. Is it news to you?
The point the Senator wishes to make is that the State provided substancial aid to Providence in order to offset the property tax burden, yet the City of Providence still raised our property tax, then attempted to blame the increase on the State.
Oh, the horror, the horror!
John Twomey
Posted at August 5, 2005 09:17 PM