LETTERS

Raising city revenues without more taxes

Warwick Beacon ·

To the Editor:

When Warwick needs more money to fund the city budget they can do one of two things. They can raise taxes on the 80,000 citizens that live here or they can increase total-tax-revenue (TTR) without raising taxes-to-taxpayers (TTT).

Here are some examples:

1. Invest in additional rescue vehicles. They make as much fee income as they cost in about a year and a half. After that, it’s all profit that increases total-tax-revenue (TTR) without increasing taxes-to-taxpayers (TTT).

2. Offer a tax rebate to anyone moving into Warwick and buying a house or business. Each new taxpayer increases the number of contributors to the total tax revenue (TTR). Small cost to taxpayers – large increase in TTR.

3. Have a two-year moratorium on building permit fees. This will cost the taxpayers a few hundred dollars and increase total-tax-revenue (TTR) every year forever.

4. Promote our beaches and charge a fee that’s “half what the state beaches charge” Advertised this way Warwick becomes attractive and profitable in two ways. 1. With a small amount of beach revenue and 2. With a large amount from any new resident that moves to Warwick.

5. Increase the money Warwick receives from the Airport. The more they pay, the less Warwick taxpayers will have to. This will add to the total-tax-revenue (TTR) without costing the taxpayers a dime. (P.S. New State Rep Camille Vella-Wilkinson has just introduced legislation to do just that. Way to go Camille Vella-Wilkinson!

6. Settle the teachers’ contract today! Lock yourselves in a room and hammer it out! Do it today and the result will be stability to our school system, which will cause families (taxpayers!) to move into Warwick not out of Warwick. New taxpayers increase total-tax-revenue (TTR) without the need to increase taxes-to-taxpayers (TTT).

7. Audit the School Committee. They are spending more than HALF of every tax dollar. An audit will reduce any waste and uncover funds to add to total-tax-revenue (TTR) WITHOUT raising taxes-to-taxpayers (TTT).

8. Hire a grant writer. Central Falls did. It cost $30,000 a year and has saved the city over $600,000 increasing TTR without a penny increase of TTT.

9. Reduce salaries/benefits of any NEW employees, not the existing ones. This will decrease future TTT. Share the savings with current employees to increase TTR.

There is a big difference between increasing total-tax-revenue (TTR) and increasing taxes-to-taxpayers (TTT). You just read nine ways we can save the taxpayers’ a ton of money and still increase revenue the city needs to run their departments effectively. If you have any additional ideas, and especially if you have any better ones, please comment to the Warwick Beacon online. This is our city. We all have the right to improve it.

Happy summer, everyone.

Rick Corrente

Warwick