Without Sakonnet Tolls, Bridges Face $17 Million Funding Shortfall
Tiverton's legislators told the Town Council on Monday that any plans to subvert tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge would need to fill a $17 million funding gap.
Photos
Tiverton's legislative delegation told the Town Council on Monday that any efforts to undermine the the placement of tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge would need to address a $17 million annual funding shortfall.
According to Sen. Louis P. DiPalma, to maintain Newport County's four bridges - the Newport Pell Bridge, Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge, Mt. Hope Bridge, and the Sakonnet - will cost the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) $38 million annually over the next 10 years.
Effectively, the revenues from a Sakonnet River Bridge toll would do more to pay for maintenance projects on the RITBA's other older bridges, as the Sakonnet River Bridge is a state-of-the-art new construction, said Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. Dist. 70, Portsmouth, Tiverton).
"This is going to end up as a cash cow for the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority and nothing else," said Edwards. "We're going to be spending our money to go across that bridge to support anything they want to do on the Pell Bridge, the Mt. Hope Bridge, and the Jamestown Bridge because this bridge isn't going to need any maintenance for five or six years."
In the absence of the Sakonnet Bridge toll, the RITBA's other funding sources - if they remain level - would fall short of paying that maintenance bill by about $17 million annually. The legislative delegation, however, said there were countless ideas to make up the gap.
DiPalma suggested raising license and registration fees at the state's Department of Motor Vehicles or raising tolls on the Newport Pell Bridge.
Sen. Christopher S. Ottiano suggested raising the rates on speeding tickets and moving violations by $5 to $15.
"There is no shortage of options of where to get it," said Ottiano. "It's about getting a coalition of people together on one idea."
Currently the East Bay legislative delegation is working to repeal Article 20 of the state's 2013 budget. Bills to reverse that article, which authorized the transfer of the Sakonnet and Jamestown bridges over to the RITBA, are working through both the House and Senate.
The legislators said that hearings before the each chamber's finance committee would likely begin between late-February and March. The success of those bills, he said, would rely largely on the help of local activists and town councils.
"What is crucial once we get before the hearings - it is important that all these groups come up here and testify, especially the businesses because that's who it's going to effect," said Rep. Dennis Canario (D-Dist.71, Portsmouth, Little Compton and Tiverton).
Edwards also submitted a bill to change the makeup of the RITBA's board of directors, changing its composition from the governor's appointees to elected officials from Tiverton, Portsmouth, Middletown and Newport.
"Our goal is no tolls, like your goal is," DiPalma said.
John M
5:41 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
17 million dollar shortfall,if we do not charge tolls on the new bridge?Sounds like old stuff to me,and if we do charge tolls, in a few years they will need more money and raise the toll prices,is there no end to this unjust toll?If the taxes do not get you,then the tolls sure will,unreal for sure,
Jim L
5:54 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Put the gas taxes and car registration fees where they belong, for roads and bridge repairs instead of in the general fund where it gets doled out as favors for people in office
Jim L
6:07 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Can the RITBA put the tolls into the DOT budget, subdiside the rate for locals, raise the tourist rate and make the DOT do their jobs and anything they can't handle put it out to bid. What do you think the RITBA does?
mike plourde
6:21 am on Wednesday, January 30, 2013
No economic study was ever done, when the business' all close will the tolls being paying for these families to eat and pay their bills? Why not be creative and think of another solution, isn't that the reason you were voted in? 5 communities should not have to pay for 4 bridges you ding dongs, think alittle. Put a higher tax on junk food, soda, cigarettes, guns, maybe the RI gov't can pay their own health care ....
Disgusted in Tiverton
11:52 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
My family is in the process of placing a parent in a nursing home. Sounds painful enough but living in Tiverton makes it near to impossible. Federal law states we can place her in a geographical location near her home address, but no nursing home in Massachusetts will accept R.I. Blue Chip. Now we have to search to the west and further away which makes visitation/transportation more expensive. If you place tolls on the bridge this will create yet another hardship for the family. I have truly come to view Tiverton/Little Compton and Aquidneck Island the bastard towns of R.I. with Tiverton/Little Compton being also the black sheep. We have no buses and we have no nursing home except Sakonnet Bay which is self pay. It is becoming so expensive to live here and the state does anything in its power to make it worse. Rhode Island cannot control its spending, cannot stop paying kickbacks, cannot create jobs, but it can make it difficult for the taxpayers and it will because we let them. Fight the tolls !
Rio Sakonnet
2:56 pm on Monday, February 25, 2013
RI already has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation @ 10.2%, RI has the second highest tax on a pack of cigarettes @ $3.50. The RI excise tax on gasoline is .32¢ per gallon, higher then 74% of the other 50 states. RI's excise tax on gasoline is ranked #13 out of the 50 states. RI cell phone tax is the 6th highest cell phone tax in the nation. The average tax collected on cell phone plans in RI is $14.62 per phone service plan per month! RI per capita excise tax...... while excise taxes are paid by merchants, the final tax burden is almost always passed on to the customer through higher prices. RI collects an average of $554 in yearly excise taxes per capita, higher then 72% of the other 50 states! RI also has one of the highest property taxes in the nation. At $2,020 per capita, the Ocean State had the 7th highest property tax collections in the country. This list doesn't even include tolls, auto inspections and the multitude of other RI excise taxes we all pay along with the 7% sales tax. Enough is enough already! This is 'Tax & Toll Island' not Rhode Island. Oh by the way, don't forget to take some extra money with you if you're going out to eat tonight....... remember, this state also has that restaurant tax too!
Joe Sousa
3:04 pm on Monday, February 25, 2013
www.cigarettespro.com - Cached
Rio Sakonnet
9:19 pm on Monday, February 25, 2013
Hi Joe, several years ago a good friend of mine who lives in Warren and smokes about two packs a day received a letter from the State of RI, Division of Taxation for back taxes. 'Darrell' it seems had been buying his cigarettes over the internet from a tribe of Native Americans whose reservation was located in New York state. It was apparently legal except that Darrell was never told by the tribe selling the cigarettes nor by the state of RI that he was obligated by RI to pay the RI state excise tax on each pack/carton he purchased and then had sent to him in RI (imported). He had bought cartons of cigarettes for himself as well as friends and family. He had been doing this for about three years to save money so when he received a tax bill from the State of RI for $10,000+ he was shocked. It seems the Indian Tribe was being harassed by the NY and NJ state taxing authorities for the names and address of their customers. The Indians fearful of losing the revenue from selling cigarettes sold out their customers and turned their customers info. RI was one of the states that received the names of its residents that were customers also from the NY authorities. Soon afterwards another friend who had been ordering cigarettes over the internet received a tax bill from RI for over $7,000. I don't smoke but if you do or know someone that does please be careful from where and whom you get them because one day a letter from the RI Division of Taxation may show up in your mail box.
Joe Sousa
5:48 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Two words "Pay Pal"
Your friend didn't do his home work.