Providence Residents Planning Car Tax Rally
Friday, August 26, 2011
The fury over changes to the car tax won’t let up.
After hundreds of angry Warwick residents turned out at City Hall to voice their displeasure with the city’s decision to lower its car tax exemption from $6,000 to $500 last week, a similar rally is being organized for the city of Providence in September.
The capital city originally did not include changes to the car tax in Mayor Taveras’ proposed 2012 budget, instead choosing to raise property taxes by roughly 13 percent. Taveras said he was concerned lowering the car tax exemption would not generate the necessary amount of revenue the city needed, but he later voiced support for the City Council’s proposed budget, which changed the car tax but lowered the property tax hike.
In the end, the city chose to broaden the tax base by lowering the car taxes but also reducing the exemption to $1,000.
Rally On Sept. 15
But Anthony Sionni, an outspoken critic of Taveras, said he is organizing the rally because he disapproves with the salaries some city employees make even as the city suffers through a “category five” fiscal hurricane.
“I am doing the rally protest because I am fed up with city tax increases," Sionni said. "Also, it burns me up that raises have been given out in city hall to a select few, while we are getting stuck with higher tax bills."
As of this posting, Sionni’s Facebook group, called “Providence Residents against the car tax increase” had just 18 members. But he said he hopes to engage elected officials and the public before the rally, which will take place on September 15 at City Hall.
“I have heard from a lot of people on Facebook complaining about the taxes, specifically the car taxes and real estate taxes,” he said. “I have 2 Facebook groups concerning the car tax issue. One deals with the car tax on a state level and the other deals with the issue on the city level. I also have 2 online petitions that go to the Governor and General Assembly concerning the state and the other to the Mayor and all 15 Council persons. People are enraged over the taxes and the valuations. I hope to get a good crowd.”
Solomon Defends Taxes
Council President Michael Solomon said the city budget had to include shared sacrifice for everyone this year.
“The Council looked at the tax levy comprehensively, refusing to ask any class of tax payer to bear the entire burden of the increase,” Solomon said. "In doing so, we moved away from the original proposal of a 13% increase in property taxes and towards a more balanced proposal which resulted in a property tax increase under 5% and the lowering of the motor vehicle tax rate by more than 20%. We also expanded the tax to an additional 55,000 vehicles which were not being taxed by lowering the exemption to $1,500.”
He said the Council did not want to balance the budget on the backs of homeowners.
“The theme of this year's budget was shared sacrifice and we felt to balance the budget wholly on the backs of homeowners was neither fair nor sound tax policy,” Solomon said. “We did not take raising taxes lightly and continue to review the City's revenue structure through our Revenue Commission which will have recommendations in the near future.”
To Move Or To Run?
But Sionni wants more answers. He blames Mayor Taveras more than the Council.
“I suspect the Mayor was favoring the rich people from the East side who put him in office,” he said.
Sionni said he grew up on Federal Hill, but that the taxes are driving him away. He said he has two options moving forward.
“I will be moving out of the city unless I run for office and try further to change things,” he said.
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Comments:
anthony sionni
6:59am on Friday, August 26, 2011
http://www.facebook.com/groups/250309794992577/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/repealcartax/
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=204547672937749
anthony sionni
7:34am on Friday, August 26, 2011
I think the mayor planned all along to raise car taxes, they play a lot of games with these issues, a lot of smoke and mirrors. Lets not forget they put back a 15% homestead exemption for non owner occupied properties. That is because all the landlords and Realtor banned together and donated tons of money to the Mayor and numerous city council members , hey if they can do it we can do it !
Is it shared sacrifices to give out raises to a select few in city hall ? What about hiring people at a rate of $150,000 ? What about paying someone to run the recreation department for $84,000 plus ? What about paying his friend D Amico $175,000 ? Are you kidding me or what ! You know the average median income for a providence resident is just over $30,000 a year, whatever happened to "serving "the public !
He is favoring the rich that put him in office on the east side and I have nothing against being rich believe me. See they lowered the tax rate from 76.78 per thousand to $60.00 per thousand sound good right, but if you do the math if you own an expensive vehicle you will be paying more, but not as much as someone with a cheaper vehicle. I guess he forgot that he came from the south side, how soon they forget the people when they get in office !
anthony sionni
7:42am on Friday, August 26, 2011
I meant to add if you do the math with the exemption as well as the rate.
Buc Kner
1:34pm on Friday, August 26, 2011
give Sionni credit for his efforts..much better use of his time than defending McCrink the deposed school teacher
allan pp
6:09pm on Friday, August 26, 2011
Buc Kner, that's a very gavone-ish comment. Stick to the topic at hand Bozo.
Keith Fernandes
1:34am on Saturday, August 27, 2011
Who is the real Buc Kner?
Keith Fernandes
1:38am on Saturday, August 27, 2011
I think the valuation process is unfair, if that was more appropriate to the value of the car then people would not be as mad. The dropping of the car tax exemption was necessary or else property taxes would be even higher as Mike Solomon said. Even $500 cars use the same road. And if cars over $6000 had to pay why not everyone else? Either tax everyone or no one at all (The excise tax should be scrapped)
Keith Fernandes
1:43am on Saturday, August 27, 2011
And anthony, you're saying its ok some of my properties tax rates went up by 50-79% last year but you cant pay a $150 bill on your car? Surely you realize your landlord will transfer that tax incredulous tax increase to you? You want to pay more rent too? Comparing apples and oranges here. Get your facts straight. NOO properties have seen a tax increase of 20-50% between these last two years. And I wish it was $150 dollars.
anthony sionni
1:30pm on Saturday, August 27, 2011
First of all Keith, yes the valuations are way off, that's something my group and other groups like in Warwick, are going after the state for.
Dont believe everything Solomon says that's for sure, its a lot of smoke and mirrors. I do agree everyone should pay there fair share, its not about who pays more. I have a problem when there raising taxes over and over while dishing out raises. Look at pro jo piece yesterday on how the mayor omitted the pay raises for the union in the press releases, cmon, there saying an oversight, oh please there getting paid tons of money and there just saying it was an oversight.
I am a renter and I am also against raising real estate taxes as well, heck my rent may even go up as well. You said ," NOO properties have seen a tax increase of 20-50% between these last two years." I never said anything about that, so I dont know what your talking about. I would be protesting this if my taxes were $5 . Look around, there not fixing roads with the money anyway.