Raptakis and Denice to Offer Elderly Fire Tax Freeze

District 33 State Senate candidate Lou Raptakis and District 26 State Representative candidate Nick Denice announced today that they will offer a resolution to the Central Coventry Fire District annual taxpayers meeting on Oct. 1 to limit the impact of any potential increase in the district’s fire tax.

In the run-up to the meeting of the Fire District board, a citizens group and district officials have been trading barbs about spending by the Fire District and the scope of a potential fire tax increase. Raptakis and Denice are proposing a resolution that would ask the board to support legislation they would introduce in the General Assembly if elected that would freeze the fire tax for elderly residents and adopt a 4.25% tax cap for the district.  The tax freeze for seniors would mirror a similar program offered by the Town of Coventry for property taxes, while the tax cap would mirror a similar cap on local property taxes.

“This proposal is a way to bring both sides together and send a clear message that the Central Coventry Fire District is working with the best interests of ratepayers in mind,” said Raptakis. “It’s time to get beyond the arguments and promote a spirit of openness and transparency.”

Denice added, “This is an opportunity for the Fire District to adopt an approach that has worked to limit the impact of municipal tax increases,” said Denice. “It recognizes that tax hikes are particularly hard on seniors living on a fixed income and seeks to limit the impact of future tax hikes on all other ratepayers.”

Both candidates will introduce thbe resolution at the annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Central Coventry Fire District on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Coventry Town Hall Annex  Flat River Road, Coventry.