Bryant Unviersity. Wikimedia Commons photo.
By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News
The President of Bryant University has called a move by the General Assembly to change the institution’s tax-exempt status “extortion.”
“This is about them trying to get more cash,” Bryant President Ronald Machtley told WPRO’s Dan Yorke Wednesday. “It’s not going to lower anyone’s tax rates.”
The legislation, passed by both the House and Senate, would revoke the University’s tax-exempt status and force them to pay for fire and other emergency services unless another agreement is reached before June 2014. The new taxes would cost the University between $250,000 and $357,000 according to Smithfield Representative Greg Costantino.
Costantino is a co-sponsor of the legislation in the House, and said he would like to have an agreement with Bryant similar to those RISD, Brown and Roger Williams have with their home cities.
The General Assembly passed the measures, which have been transmitted to the Governor, and now Machtley said he feels like the legislature is “putting a gun to [his] head.”
“It’s an attack on a time-honored non-profit status,” he said.
But Costantino told WPRO’s Buddy Cianci that he simply wants to sit with Machtley and develop a memorandum of understanding.
“Machtley refuses to sit with the council,” said Costantino. “I’d like a personal invitation to sit down [with Machtley] any time, any place.”
Bryant currently contributes $800,000 to the town of Smithfield, the bulk of which is earmarked for sewer and water services. Machtley says the University is also a major economic driver for the town, and provides and pays for many of their own services already.
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Kim Kalunian
