Home Economy Government Providence simplifies application and review process for owner-occupied property tax

Providence simplifies application and review process for owner-occupied property tax

By

Christopher Allen

-

11/04/2024

MS-1125SmileyQA-66 — PROVIDENCE MAYOR BRETT P. SMILEY said an updated online application portal going live Monday will help streamline the process for homeowners to secure the city’s owner-occupied residential property tax rate. /PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – Mayor Brett P. Smiley’s administration has unveiled a new and improved online application portal for homeowners to secure owner-occupied tax rates from the city’s tax assessors office. Smiley spokesperson Anthony Vega said the portal, which went live Monday, is now more “user-friendly” and will help streamline and simplify the process for residents who

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PROVIDENCE – Mayor Brett P. Smiley’s administration has unveiled a new and improved online application portal for homeowners to secure owner-occupied tax rates from the city’s tax assessors office. Smiley spokesperson Anthony Vega said the portal, which went live Monday, is now more “user-friendly” and will help streamline and simplify the process for residents who have not yet applied for the reduced tax rate. “This is part of Mayor Smiley’s ongoing priority to tangibly improve the quality-of-life of our community members by digitalizing and streamlining city services, making City Hall a more accessible and responsive hub for residents,” he said. The city’s fiscal 2025 budget included no property tax hikes but ended the homestead exemption, replacing it with a new owner-occupied property tax rate set at $10.46 per $1,000 of assessed value. The non-owner-occupied rate is set at $18.35. Features of the revamped system include automatic population of individual property details, search functions and clearer instructions for applicants. The enhancements will also streamline processing, which the administration said should lead to quicker administrative reviews and timelines for decisions. Of the city’s 68,023 households, 60% are owner-occupied, according to HousingWorks RI at Roger Williams University. After increasing residential property taxes in fiscal 2024, a move Smiley argued was necessary because the tax structures put in place by previous administrations was unsustainable, the city kept rates level for this fiscal year but ended the homestead exemption, replacing it with a new owner-occupied property tax rate set at $10.46 per $1,000 of assessed value. The non-owner-occupied rate is set at $18.35. Before it was nixed from the city's tax scheme, the 43% homestead exemption was the state’s most generous, according to a June report by the R.I. Public Expenditure Council. Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com