Special Commission on Veterans Affairs, Thursday, July 11,2024 - 4:30PM

I'd like to call the special commission on veterans of I'd like to call the special commission on veterans of peace to order for Thursday, 07/11/2024. It is about 04:32 right now. Can we have roll call,?

Chairman Musharra.

Present.

Vice chairman Taylor.

Here.

Officer,.

Here. Thank you very much. Welcome, members. Glad... I hope that you're enjoying your summer this July.

And just wanted to... For us to review our agenda for today. If there's anything else that you would like to bring up, especially for the next couple of discussion for the next couple of months leading up to November. So the first item on the agenda is the discussion relative to additional members of the commission. Haven't received any names yet, so what I'll do is move that to our next meeting.

And so if there's no objection with that, I'll certainly... Or unless there's any Well, I'll list the recommendations. Yes.

Being that we know that we have a list of veterans that are in the city that are getting simple proposition, they would have the best interest in this process. I recommend we take a look at that list and find a female veteran or family of law. Those are family, which

is the... Of those things...

All things purposes from that list, and let's lose that as a start.

I agree with that. So we will review that in... By next meeting, we definitely... That's our that's our setup.

Yes, sir.

Certainly looking for members that are vested in it, and we'll participate in the discussion also in planning and future events. Thank you.

Mister chair, if I could just note for the record that we are joined by assistant city solicitor Susana Spolme,.

Hello. Good afternoon. Welcome. We're also... Part of the agenda is to review our current residents receiving municipal veterans benefits in the city of Providence, and we're also gonna have Suzanne talk a little bit about the section 21 dash one twenty eight point one of the province of the code item number two.

So, essentially, if we can just have Aaron or Aaron, just to speak about the numbers in terms of the the veterans and the information that we... That you have discovered where they... Within your research and also just a recap in a sense of what are the benefits that our veterans have.

Okay. Yeah. So there is a tax exempt benefit.

Can you you just compose it so that way we can have a have a remote. I know sometimes I I listen to the audio at home, and it's muffled. People really don't hear what... At least the people... Betters like us also have

Right. Busy now. Absolutely. Yes. With some of the preliminary research we did in the council office, we get in mind that there are 1,075 individuals within the city that are receiving a better better than a set division.

That list includes veterans, veterans, Gold Star, addition to disabled veterans. So they're all, you know, included in that list that.

Great. Thank you. And there's no other benefits that they're that they're receiving that you found through your research in the city of province?

No. No. No. Other benefits outside of what is actually in the court order basis. And then as of right now, what we're actually trying to do is take a look at the the actual application of that law and see what actually may be changed at the state level to affect our our holdings.

Do you know what is that total amount of dollars that people are receiving on veterans? Is that calculated?

So I understand that as it's interpreted now in Citi, there is a $15,000 extension, but it's not... I've I've been in what we need. I said I said it's obvious to explain. It is not a $15,000 cash. Like, know, extension is actually $15,000 worth of, like, property value that is actually So it doesn't end up being as much as you would imagine on first place.

And so... And Susanna, she actually did wrap the demo with all of this background, and she is available to on that as well to speak about it. And maybe that she that we share it.

Okay. Any question of senior adviser?

Yes, sir. So this is great. Thank you. So where does these other cities in the state?

Let's see. Honestly, throughout the whole... Throughout the general laws in the state, there are literally maybe 20 different cities and towns that have specific conventions. They can't call out the exact amount, but what is important to Providence should seem to line up with the.

I I recommend that we take this list and compare it on a piece of paper somewhere. Mhmm. Johnson, Warren, and let's see where see their products, stats relative to those total three cities that I mentioned. And let's see that that as a base of comparison. So, I mean, for this community, it's okay.

Where are we going to those three cities? Is this good, bad, or different? And where we need to go, that that that be the benchmark for potentially making amendments.

Right. Absolutely. And as we, you know, take a look at the interpretation of the statute and the actual amounts that will relate... That will allow us in the form of what we would like to potentially change at the state level. But what we can do is we can't have, like, a team site by site if we had it.

Actually, city account offers to, you know, their their.

Okay. Thank you. Any other question, discussion? And we can we can do that. I also would like to, at this time, to recognize our councilwoman Mary Kay Harris, who's joining us.

Her husband is a veteran, so I think he lost some more. Maybe he's coming. So welcome. Also, we're joined by our city solicitor, top city solicitor, Jeff David. Thank you for being here.

The next item on the agenda is discussion relative to the interpretation and application of section 21 dash one twenty eight point one of the city code of ordinance. And I believe your assistant solicitor, Susan Susan, is going to enlighten us in the... Regarding this.

Yes. Thank you. Good afternoon, commission. Can everybody hear me alright?

Yep.

Okay. Thank you. I apologize that I can't be with you there in person. I'm actually, with you from New Jersey this afternoon. But, yes, I did have an opportunity to do some research on the status of the tax exemptions that are available both, in Providence and more generally at the state level, which I think, goes to director Yarn's comment earlier during this meeting that it may be, instructive to the commission to kind of get a sense of where Providence's exemptions fit in the overall scheme of exemptions that are being provided to veterans more generally throughout our state.

Based on my research, it does appear that the exemptions that Providence is currently offering are on the lower end of the exemptions that are offered to veterans more generally in the state. I don't exactly know how, the amount of the exemptions are set. I imagine that it has a lot to do with, property values and that when each municipality gets together to, decide what exemption they will enact, there's many calculations that go into what tax rates are feasible for each municipality. So that is kind of outside the scope of my research. However, what I can tell you is that the the property tax exemption that is available to veterans living in Providence is 6,000.

It's it's generally a $3,000 exemption. For veterans who are deemed to be totally disabled by the VA, it is a $6,000 exemption. And, it's worth noting that that $6,000 amount is actually slightly lower than the amount that is, available to veterans on... Throughout the state. In other words, the the, the statute provides that, there is a $1,000 general exemption for veterans throughout the state.

Providence's exemption, specifically for Providence veterans, is slightly higher, $3,000, as I said. However, the the amount of the exemption for disabled veterans in the state is $10,000. But with Providence, we see that number dip slightly to $6,000. And if you all have a copy of my memo in front of you, it may be easier to see some of these numbers laid out. But

Well, Susan. Yes. If I may,

just for the purpose. Yes.

Just... Do the members have the memo in front of

you? Yes.

Do you have me submit this into To it. So we'll mark this item number one. Thank you. You may proceed.

Thank you. Yes. Okay. So the the exemptions that are available generally in Rhode Island are codified at 45... Oh, sorry.

44 dash three dash four of the general laws, and that's where we see that $1,000 general exemption and the $10,000 exemption for, totally disabled veterans. The the exemptions that are available to Providence veterans specifically are enacted in a... Are are codified in a different section of the statute, 44 dash three dash 31. That's where we see the $3,000 exemption generally for veterans and the $6,000 exemption for veterans who are totally disabled. Those are the exemptions that are currently available to veterans in Providence, and this is why.