By Anita Baffoni WPRO News
Doubling down on his campaign promise to eliminate the excise car tax, House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello says the state will reimburse cities and towns to offset the $215 million collected by the tax.
“It’s going take about five years to do but we are going to get it done because it’s the right thing for our tax payers and our citizens,” Mattiello said while speaking with outgoing Republican Representative Joe Trillo on the Matt Allen Show on WPRO today.
LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW BELOW
Mattiello has said a recent increase in the state’s revenue will help the reimbursement.
A phase out of the car tax was attempted in the past and Mattiello says he will look to those years to see what Rhode Island tried to do. That phase out failed during the recession.
The estate tax is also on Mattiello’s radar, saying it drives people out of the state.
“The estate tax exemption is at $1.5 million dollars and we are going to have to look at increasing that,” Mattiello said.
In order to keep Rhode Island competitive, Mattiello says taking a look at these taxes and alleviating the burden on taxpayers will help keep people in the state and improve the economy.
“We are going to give the taxpayers the relief they deserve,” he said. “Since the first day that I was elected Speaker 2 1/2 years ago, I said jobs and the economy. I try to stay true to that and I believe I have stayed true to that and we are much more competitive as a state then we have ever been.”
These are a few of the priorities of Speaker Mattiello for the 2017 legislative session that will begin on Tuesday.
