“NK Zero” - No Tax increases this year!
In 1989 Rhode Island had the 26th highest taxes in the nation. Today we are fifth highest. Only Rhode Island and Michigan lost population last year and we have unemployment nearing 10%. We have decreasing population, decreasing student enrollment, a decreasing supply of jobs and an increasing tax burden with less and less people to pay it. Six years ago the North Kingstown town budget was $76.1 million. Today it is $93.2 million.
Our residents face frozen salaries and deflated retirement plans. The costs for food, electric, fuel oil and college tuitions are rising sharply. It is time for tax relief and our Town Council should lead it.
To “relieve” the taxpayer, the RI Tax Expenditure Limitation Amendment allows a Town to raise tax revenues by a declining scale over the next 4 years- 4.75%, 4.5%. 4.25% and 4.0%. Last year the North Kingstown Town Council raised tax revenues by 5% (the maximum allowed) even though our expenditure increase was only 3.2%. It begs the question…Shouldn’t we raise taxes because we need to, not because we can?
If our newly elected Town Council continues on the “maximum raise” formula, in four years our taxes will still be 18.6% higher than today. Is that “tax relief”? Hardly! Massachusetts has had Prop 2.5% for nearly a decade. We are just getting down to 4.5%! It is time to stop spending!
NK Zero is a move to have the Town Council freeze expenditures and not raise property taxes at all this year. The Federal government doesn’t raise taxes each year, nor does the state. It is NOT a given that local taxes must be raised. There are many ways the Council, together with School Committee can do this, but it does require a new paradigm on how the town uses its resources and consolidates its services. Waste and redundancy must be eliminated!
Vic Fasolino, V.P.
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