“As a co-equal branch of government, the Council has a vital role in vetting the budget,” said Providence City Council President Rachel Miller to the councilmembers of the finance committee Thursday evening. “When each of us was elected as representatives of our neighborhoods, we became stewards of our City’s financial health and economic growth.”
Council President Miller was presenting the recommended changes to the FY 2024 city budget in advance of a public hearing on Tuesday, June 13. The $586 million budget presented by Mayor Brett Smiley in April included controversial increases in residential property tax rates and decreases in commercial property tax rates. Those increases and decreases are still there but they have been modified and lowered.
“While the city has not raised taxes in eight years, home revaluations caused soaring tax bills for city homeowners, especially in less wealthy neighborhoods. A drastic tax increase during a time of overwhelming inflation would create a significant …