Providence Council President Igliozzi Is Looking to Tax East Side at a Higher Rate
Saturday, April 30, 2022
GoLocal has learned that Council President John Igliozzi is looking into a new tax structure that potentially would create a higher tax rate for those who live in more affluent areas of the city— specifically, those who live in wards 1, 2, and 3 versus the rest of Providence.
Igliozzi engaged the Providence law firm Adler, Pollock and Sheehan to develop an advisory opinion for a new tax structure — a structure that would hit East Side residents the hardest — not based on income or wealth, but on geography.
GoLocal has repeatedly requested copies of the letter from the firm -- and the Igliozzi council administration has repeatedly refused to provide a copy of it.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTGoLocal has also requested the cost of the outside legal services.
On Friday night after repeated refusal by Igliozzi’s press secretary Parker Gavigan to release the letter and the cost of the advisory, Igliozzi’s office issued the following statement.
"We have engaged outside counsel for guidance. The City Council administration believes any product received is subject to the Attorney-Client Privilege which has not been waived and therefore cannot be disclosed. The agreement is not to exceed $5,000. To date, no bill has been provided,” James Lombardi, Acting Chief of Staff to the Providence City Council.
Gavigan added, “No further comment at this time.”
Igliozzi is term-limited and will be leaving the council at the end of this term. He represents Ward 7 -- the Silver Lake area of the city.
In 2019, Igliozzi Tried a Similar Strategy
"Residents on Providence East Side are organizing to fight against a new tax structure being prepared by Providence City Council Finance Chairman John Igliozzi which has yet to be unveiled but is expected to increase taxes on the city's most valuable homes which are predominately located on the affluent East Side.
'As it stands, the proposal levies a higher tax on owners of higher-priced homes (ie: the East Side) in an effort to lower the burden for other areas of the City, whose assessments have gone up dramatically. This tiered tax break that John Igliozzi is proposing is 50% to lower assessed homes, to 10% to the highest valued homes. Most of the East Side would have less than a 50% deduction, and owners who are given a 10 or 20% break would face major taxes,' wrote John Goncalves, an East Sider organizing opposition to a new tax structure.
Providence Councilman Seth Yurdin who represents Providence's Fox Point area and much of Brown University wrote in a separate letter, 'These reported changes are a dramatic departure from the city's historic taxation practices. If adopted, they would effectively create a variable rate for owner-occupied residential property - with higher value properties being taxed a higher rate. There are more questions than answers right now. What are the proposed rates? We don't know. What are the effects on the city's current and future budget? No answer there.'"
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