Letter: Tiverton faces long, costly to-do list

Posted 7/9/15

To the editor:

Tiverton is a small town with big problems that get bigger every year. Sitting at town council meetings for the last t25 years as an observer was the start. Also serving on our town’s zoning board, budget committee and now …

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Letter: Tiverton faces long, costly to-do list

Posted

To the editor:

Tiverton is a small town with big problems that get bigger every year. Sitting at town council meetings for the last t25 years as an observer was the start. Also serving on our town’s zoning board, budget committee and now town council has given me an education.

The list of things we need to replace or repair when it comes to the town’s infrastructure is several pages long, printed on both sides. This list does not include the replacement of safety and public works equipment or the cost to close the landfill.

We are looking at tens of millions just to catch up with what is needed now. How many people in town know we need to replace three local bridges soon; 90 miles of roads, most with bad asphalt and drainage problems; school buildings that need $8 million in repairs including replacement of old roofs.

I hate to a chicken little, but we have some serious problems, and the only funding for these items will be the property tax.

I have to say it — we can't pay all these bills with tax increases on the residents. We need to expand our commercial tax base while keeping taxes as low as possible for existing businesses and residents. The burden needs to be spread in order to lessen the impact. The town council need to create an atmosphere where the town is businesses friendly. Zoning needs to be adjusted to allow smart growth which will expand our tax base. We can increase the tax base without overburdening the local roads by keeping the commercial growth close to Route 24. This is in our Comprehensive Plan and the council should work to make this happen.

While I am against the current proposal for the Souza Road project, I am not willing to chase them out of town. I think we can come up with a plan that will help the town increase the tax base without destroying the neighborhood.

In closing I hope people will keep an open mind and ignore the exaggerated claims by the opposition. I welcome your comments at joesousa49@yahoo.com or call me after 4 p.m. at 401-662-5748.

Joe Sousa

Tiverton

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