NEW: Hazen White Threatens to Move Out of RI Over Estate Tax
Friday, May 30, 2014
GoLocalProv Politics Team
GoLocalProv Mindsetter John Hazen White said he will move out of Rhode Island if the estate tax isn't "repealed or tremendously modified" and take his philanthropic dollars out of the state.
During a taping of this week's "A Lively Experiment" program, the CEO & President of TACO Industries said the following:
"The exemption level is not as relevant to me as the ultimate percentage and the timing of the issue. We need to get that thing competitive. Wipe it out totally or get it competitive. Because I will tell you as I sit here today as a private business owner, if that isn’t repealed or tremendously modified, I will have to move out of this state. Because if I died in this state tomorrow, they would have to sell that company to pay the taxes.
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So I’m not willing to do that to my company. So, I’m outta here! And guess what happens when John Hazen White leaves Rhode Island? The White Family Foundation is finished. Philanthropic work we do is done. You think $30 million dollars this state reaped out of the estate tax last year is meaningful? Let me tell you – lose a few of those things and it’s a whole lot more meaningful!”
A Lively Experiment airs Fridays and Sundays on Channel 36.
Related Slideshow: Smallest + Largest Tax Increases in RI
Below are the largest—and smallest—tax increases in Rhode Island cities and towns for fiscal year 2014. The data measures the overall change in the amount levied in taxes between last year and this year. It does not compare changes in individual tax rates for homeowners, which may have been higher than the overall increase if the change in the rates was lower for another group of taxpayers in the community. This year, for the first time, all communities stayed below the annual tax cap, which for 2014 was 4 percent. (The cap applies to the overall levy not individual tax rates. Note that the levies for any independent fire districts in a community are not included.) Below communities are ranked starting with those that had the lowest increases. Data was provided by the state Division of Municipal Finance and is current as of January 7.
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#39
Pawtucket
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: -0.68%
Rank: 39
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $100,068,109
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $99,386,793
Amount of Increase: -$681,316
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#38
Hopkinton
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: -0.40%
Rank: 38
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $18,300,511
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $18,228,199
Amount of Increase: -$72,312
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included.
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#37
Cranston
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 0.12%
Rank: 37
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $181,367,888
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $181,591,060
Amount of Increase: $223,172
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#36
Jamestown
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 0.37%
Rank: 36
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $19,089,398
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $19,160,796
Amount of Increase: $71,398
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#35
North Providence
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 0.40%
Rank: 35
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $67,468,778
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $67,737,041
Amount of Increase: $268,263
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#34
Glocester
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 0.41%
Rank: 34
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $20,666,156
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $20,750,248
Amount of Increase: $84,092
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included.
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#33
West Greenwich
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 0.42%
Rank: 33
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $17,700,512
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $17,775,266
Amount of Increase: $74,754
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#32
Foster
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 0.56%
Rank: 32
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $11,206,523
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $11,269,380
Amount of Increase: $62,857
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#31
Warren
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 0.57%
Rank: 31
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $21,962,605
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $22,087,246
Amount of Increase: $124,641
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#30
Barrington
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 0.66%
Rank: 30
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $55,757,749
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $56,127,312
Amount of Increase: $369,563
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#29
South Kingstown
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 1.03%
Rank: 29
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $66,399,782
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $67,082,117
Amount of Increase: $682,335
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#28
Lincoln
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 1.08%
Rank: 28
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $51,933,416
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $52,492,287
Amount of Increase: $558,871
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included.
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#27
North Kingstown
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 1.37%
Rank: 27
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $69,092,073
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $70,035,857
Amount of Increase: $943,784
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#26
Cumberland
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 1.53%
Rank: 26
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $59,560,610
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $60,472,810
Amount of Increase: $912,200
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included. Cumberland actual amount is an estimate reported by the town. Final levy will be set in May 2014
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#25
Warwick
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 1.57%
Rank: 25
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $220,300,865
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $223,763,444
Amount of Increase: $3,462,579
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#24
Little Compton
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 1.74%
Rank: 24
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $10,153,215
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $10,329,739
Amount of Increase: $176,524
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#23
East Providence
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 1.91%
Rank: 23
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $101,738,436
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $103,679,393
Amount of Increase: $1,940,957
Note: East Providence fiscal year is Nov. 1 to Oct. 31. Figures represent an state estimate which will be finalized in spring 2014.
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#22
Westerly
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 1.93%
Rank: 22
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $64,073,479
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $65,309,605
Amount of Increase: $1,236,126
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included.
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#21
Middletown
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 1.95%
Rank: 21
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $42,569,846
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $43,400,329
Amount of Increase: $830,483
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#20
Charlestown
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 1.95%
Rank: 20
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $22,244,817
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $22,679,022
Amount of Increase: $434,205
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included.
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#19
Tiverton
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 2.22%
Rank: 19
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $36,705,787
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $37,519,924
Amount of Increase: $814,137
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included.
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#18
Narragansett
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 2.25%
Rank: 18
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $45,045,014
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $46,060,213
Amount of Increase: $1,015,199
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included.
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#17
Portsmouth
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 2.41%
Rank: 17
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $46,892,274
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $48,021,889
Amount of Increase: $1,129,615
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included.
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#16
Providence
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 2.42%
Rank: 16
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $332,768,119
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $340,814,523
Amount of Increase: $8,046,404
Photo: Flickr/thurdl01
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#15
Smithfield
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 2.43%
Rank: 15
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $50,485,821
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $51,713,919
Amount of Increase: $1,228,098
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#14
Scituate
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 2.63%
Rank: 14
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $25,737,325
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $26,415,040
Amount of Increase: $677,715
Note: Scituate fiscal year is April 1 to March 31.
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#13
Johnston
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 2.73%
Rank: 13
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $68,325,207
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $70,191,873
Amount of Increase: $1,866,666
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#12
Exeter
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 2.76%
Rank: 12
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $12,699,098
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $13,048,989
Amount of Increase: $349,891
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included.
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#11
Bristol
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 3.20%
Rank: 11
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $35,907,363
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $37,055,367
Amount of Increase: $1,148,004
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#10
Richmond
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 3.39%
Rank: 10
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $16,192,073
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $16,740,541
Amount of Increase: $548,468
Photo: Flickr/peppergrasss
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#9
Newport
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 3.49%
Rank: 9
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $65,177,966
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $67,451,455
Amount of Increase: $2,273,489
Photo: Flickr/Jasperdo
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#8
Coventry
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 3.56%
Rank: 8
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $62,327,613
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $64,549,069
Amount of Increase: $2,221,455
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included.
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#7
Burrillville
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 3.63%
Rank: 7
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $27,830,582
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $28,840,267
Amount of Increase: $1,009,685
Note: Has an independent fire district. Levy for fire districts not included.
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#6
North Smithfield
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 3.82%
Rank: 6
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $28,611,366
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $29,705,309
Amount of Increase: $1,093,943
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#5
New Shoreham
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 3.85%
Rank: 5
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $8,400,360
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $8,723,934
Amount of Increase: $323,574
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#4
West Warwick
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 3.89%
Rank: 4
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $54,252,606
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $56,363,626
Amount of Increase: $2,111,020
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#3
East Greenwich
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 3.91%
Rank: 3
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $49,896,853
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $51,845,789
Amount of Increase: $1,948,936
Note: East Greenwich fiscal year 2013 & 2014 levies reflect the towns merger with the fire district in June 2013.
Photo: Flickr/Jimmy Wayne
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#2
Woonsocket
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 3.99%
Rank: 2
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $57,588,098
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $59,888,228
Amount of Increase: $2,300,130
Note: Woonsocket fiscal year 2013 includes a supplemental tax.
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#1
Central Falls
FY 2013 to FY 2014 Tax Increase: 4.00%
Rank: 1
FY 2013 Tax Levy: $13,674,638
FY 2014 Tax Levy: $14,221,500
Amount of Increase: $546,862
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