Fate of Prov's Budget Battle at the State House May Be With One Person, and It's Not the Speaker

Fate of Prov's Budget Battle at the State House May Be With One Person, and It's Not the Speaker

State Representative Chris Blazejewski, a top lieutenant of Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello, may have the greatest influence over the future of the tax structure in the City of Providence and the fate of the capital city’s 2020 budget.

Blazejewski, who represents the East Side and Fox Point and serves as Deputy Majority Whip under Mattiello, is being targeted by Residential Properties -- one of Rhode Island’s top real estate firms and the largest firm on the Providence’s affluent East Side -- to kill the City Council’s proposed enabling legislation for a two-tiered tax structure.

The new two-tiered tax structure was introduced by Providence City Council President Sabina Matos and Finance Chair John Igliozzi.

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A campaign titled “PVD Tax Facts” claims that its mission is for “Standing up for a transparent, fair, predictable property tax structure in PVD.” The campaign is funded by Residential Properties according to the Facebook page's disclosure.

The campaign calls for residents to call Blazejewski — “The @pvdcitycouncil proposed a massive, unvetted change to the City's residential property tax, and it's pitting neighborhoods against each other. They can't pass it without first changing state law.”

The campaign Twitter page has only 29 followers made up primarily of politicians and lobbyists. The Facebook page promoting the ad campaign has no “likes" -- ads, however, for the campaign are being promoted on Facebook.

Last week, the RI State Senate passed enabling legislation for the City Council’s structure. The legislation is opposed by some on the East Side as houses with higher value will have a lower homestead exemption.

Sally Lapides, the head of Residential Properties is on the record, “We sell the majority of the homes on the East Side and all over Providence. We are lucky on the East Side to have the properties with the highest values. It is exceedingly hard today with the tax rates the way they are to sell the properties with our tax rate, because our assessments are high. This will be like a crowbar going into a speeding bike — it will stop the sale of homes over $350K in a snap. That will bring all the prices of homes down.”

Blazejewski Ties to Smiley

Blazejewski has a close political relationship with Brett Smiley — chief-of-staff to Governor Gina Raimondo, likely candidate for mayor of Providence in 2022, and owner of a political consulting firm.

Smiley and his husband Jim DeRentis of Residential Properties have been the leading outspoken opponents to the City Council’s two-tier tax structure. They have donated combined $2,175 to Blazejewski in seven contributions. Lapides is also a Blazejewski donor ($250).

Both Smiley and DeRentis have spoken at City Council hearings and public meetings against the proposal. DeRentis said at one hearing, “I am profoundly disappointed [with the Council's proposal] — this pits neighbors against neighbors. It's reckless.”

Efforts to reach Blazejewski were unsuccessful.