Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Measure intended to encourage speedy resolution of overdue bills, aid taxpayers in catching up.
If you're overdue on taxes owed to the City of Woonsocket, you may not have to worry about the 15 percent interest penalty if you square up before the end of June. The City Council approved a resolution last night asking the city's General Assembly delegation to introduce legislation allowing the city to forgive the the interest on the last three years of overdue real estate bills, and last two years for vehicle and personal property tax. City Finance Director Thomas Bruce said by his conservative estimate, the measure could encourage enough delinquent taxpayers to settle their bills to generate about $400,000 between May and July, when the city will experience a "severe cash flow". Bruce said the city is about $9 million short for …
Friday, June 8, 2012
Ward, Beauchamp argue with Jalette during Monday work session on budget.
Woonsocket City Council President John Ward and Councilman Christopher Beauchamp had heated words with Councilman Roger Jalette over the the supplemental tax bill during Monday's work session. The councilors cooled long enough to continue discussing possible cuts as alternatives to the supplemental tax bill. Audio of the exchange can be reviewed at Mywoonsocket.com's "In their own words" page under the title June 4, 2012 Woonsocket City CouncilWork Session Budget", at links #14, #17 and #18. Jalette addressed the council, telling them the only solution to fixing the school department's $10 million deficit he'd heard from the majority of his fellow councilmen was increasing taxes. "Really? You didn't hear me discuss cutting retirement …
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Woonsocket City Hall
169 Main St, Woonsocket, RI
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Members decide to wait for General Assembly's decision on supplemental tax.
Councilman Dan Gendron announced a change of heart Monday night, moving that the Woonsocket City Council table the proposal that they ask for a budget commission. Most of the rest of the council voted to put the request on a back burner. The only holdout was Councilman Albert Brien. He was in favor of a vote on the issue, he said, but only so he could vote 'No'. "I am against a budget commission at any time," Brien said. Gendron and the other members of the council were not as fervent in their reluctance to ask for state intervention, but most were wary of asking for the state to step in if it wasn't as a last resort. "We do not have the option of asking them to leave," Gendron said, and a budget commission could end up running the city'…
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Woonsocket City Hall
169 Main St, Woonsocket, RI
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Thursday, May 17, 2012
Ward told members of joint Council, School Committee working session that bill could get second shot.
City Council President John Ward told members of the Council and School Committee Wednesday that the act authorizing the city to issue new tax bills could get another chance May 22. Ward spoke during a Council working session at Town Hall last night, with School Committee Chair Anita Forcier-Mcguire, School Committee Vice Chair Vimala Phongsavanh and Superintendent Giovanna Donoyan present. He said he'd spoken with Rep. Jon Brien (Dist. 50, Woonsocket) earlier Wednesday and had learned the Finance Committee might be considering the act again as early as next Tuesday. The Finance Committee tabled the authorizing legislation Tuesday, May 15. "It usually means that the bill is killed," when a committee tables a bill for further study, said …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Mayor, Council President answer questions about need for supplemental tax bill.
The House Finance Committee has tabled the act authorizing a supplemental tax bill after hearing city and state officials speak for it and two citizens opposing the measure. The act, S2872, would authorize officials to raise as much as $6.6 million for the financially strapped city. Without it, Woonsocket will be out of money by the end of the month. A hearing on the matter aired today during a Capitol TV broadcast. After the Committee heard from and questioned Woonsocket Mayor Leo Fontaine and Woonsocket City Council President John Ward, the cause for the supplemental tax got support from the state, but testimony from two Woonsocket citizens ended the hearing on a note of opposition. Susan Greschner, chief of municipal finance for the …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Insufficient signs were posted per new rules set in February.
Council members told Police Chief Thomas Carey during Moday's City Council Meeting they want strict enforcement of tag day regulations passed in February. "Tag Days" are fundraisers in which volunteers approach cars stopped in traffic to ask for small donations. Two months ago the City Council passed an ordinance that limits such collections to two locations, Park Square, and the intersection of Hamlet and Cumberland streets. Volunteers must put out signs reading "tag day ahead," and all must wear the same brightly-colored safety vests used by work crews repairing roads. At Monday's City Council meeting, some Council members complained volunteers from an organization they did not name violated the new rules during a recent tag day. Council…
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Woonsocket City Hall
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Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Councilors also support a municipal negotiating team to reduce health care costs
The City Council won't be opposing a bill now moving through the state legislature that would slash building permit fees in half to encourage more construction in Rhode Island. A resolution expressing opposition to House bill 7867 failed when the council's vote on the matter split down the middle. Christopher Beauchamp, who proposed the resolution, was joined by Council members John Ward and Dan Gendron, while Albert Brien, Marc Dubois, and Roger Jalette all voted against the measure. Council member Robert Moreau was absent. According to Beauchamp, cutting building fees could cost the city of Woonsocket $180,000. "How would we make up that revenue?" he asked. "At the expense of the taxpayers." "Cutting fees is not something this city can …
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Woonsocket City Hall
169 Main St, Woonsocket, RI
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Monday, April 16, 2012
Councilors to consider ballot question asking if School Committee should be appointed.
Tonight's City Council meeting looks like it will be a long one. Councilors have an agenda that includes four claims against the city for damages, word of new grants to aid the homeless and improve Cass Park, and a proposal to alter the city charter making the School Committee an appointed body. Woonsocket will recieve $105,521 from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development for homeless prevention, rapid rehousing and emergency shelter. The city will also recieve $125,000 from the RI Department of Envrionmental Management for improvements to Cass Pond. The grant will fund upgrading the pond, replacing timber edging, rubberizing a walking path, solar powered lights and fountain filtration. The Council will also consider a ballot …
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Woonsocket City Hall
169 Main St, Woonsocket, RI
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Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The General Assembly will take action in two or three weeks.
Woonsocket's state lawmakers are still uncertain about supporting the supplemental tax bill city leaders hope to use to help plug a $10 million budget shortfall. Under state law, the city can't ask residents to pay the extra tax bill without approval of the plan by the state legislature. When the City Council endorsed the plan on April 2, some members said they expected the state legislature to follow up by passing the supplemental tax bill within a few days. At a Monday night meeting, however, the City Council learned the measure may meet with some opposition in the Statehouse, and that members of Woonsocket's legislative delegation — all Democrats — are still wondering which is the right way to go. Action by the General Assembly is …
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The City Council approved a 13 percent extra tax bill. Will it help the city right the ship?
The Woonsocket City Council granted its approval to a supplemental tax increase, hitting residents with 13 percent additional property tax bill to help pay off the School Department's $10 million deficit. Officials are calling it an unfortunate necessity, but will it ultimately stave off municipal bankruptcy? Avoiding such a scenario is critical to keeping costs for homeowners as low as possible, Mayor Leo Fontaine told more than 150 residents in attendance at Monday night's meeting. Should Woonsocket declare bankrtuptcy, a state receiver would take over, and residents could be hit harder, Fontaine said. "If we don't solve this problem ourselves, it will be solved for us, and that may not be as beneficial for us as we'd like it to be," …
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Woonsocket City Hall
169 Main St, Woonsocket, RI
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Steve
12:20 pm on Thursday, April 18, 2013
Question for Mr.Gendron: How can a person or persons be three years behind in Property taxes and interest, when the city has yearly Tax Sales on deliquent properties? I would have thought that any property or properties that are this far behind would have been put up for tax sale over the last several years. This Resolution makes no sense to me........ more ›