On June 6th, I was the only Town Councilor to vote no on a resolution to the General Assembly requesting authorization for the Town Council to enter a tax stabilization agreement with certain businesses that meet specific criteria. On June 15th, as the General Assembly closed their legislative session, H6509 was referred back to Committee and S1132, which never went to Committee, passed. This enabling legislation will not be passed into law.
The request to move this legislation forward was extremely rushed. It was first presented to me 15 days ago, on June 1st. As a resident and Town Councilor, I am concerned with the lack of transparency surrounding negotiations and what would happen after approval.
I asked during the June 6th Town Council Meeting why the proposed bill was restrictive, making it so that perhaps only one or two property owners could apply. The Town Solicitor stated she drafted this bill “based on the conversations some councilors had with the Preserve.” I asked if she could tell me who was having the conversations and she said no. It was made clear that a plan or agreement had already been made but I was among the other residents who were not allowed to know what that plan was. I am not an impulsive person. It’s important we know exactly how this will affect the tax rates of our homeowners and that we are given time to consider the implications of any legislation.
R.I.G.L 44-3-9 states the qualified electors of the town may vote to authorize the city or town council to enter into tax stabilization agreements. S1132 and H6509 take the voice away from the voters and allows the Town Council to enter into an agreement with properties that meet a specific criteria without a vote by the electors. Our neighbors in Hopkinton recently allowed their residents to vote on a tax stabilization agreement with a solar company. I would like to see Richmond take this approach.
I want the Preserve to succeed. They offer a unique outdoor luxury adventure vacation to their clients, and in the past few years, they have developed amenities that Richmond residents can partake in. Their success is Richmond’s success. I want to move forward as partners. Without the passage of this legislation, we can still enter an agreement and include the residents in that partnership.
I voted no to encourage transparency and thoughtfulness in Richmond’s decision making. I voted no to ensure four people cannot take away the voices of the residents. I look forward to future open discussions on the matter so we can present a stable plan for both Mr. Mihailides and the Town of Richmond.
Read the full proposed bill here: http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText23/HouseText23/H6509.pdf
Coverage from the Providence Journal: https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/06/16/the-preserve-richmond-ri-asks-legislature-for-tax-break/70321732007/
