STD mailing was a “scare tactic”

There is NO effort to create a “Single Taxing District”

By Rep. Larry Valencia

This originally ran as a letter to the editor. It has been published in the Chariho Times, but not the Westerly Sun.

I have a 14 year old daughter, Xaviera, who soon begins her freshman year at Chariho High School. Xavi loves Chariho; she loves her teachers – and she’s very excited! Our family loves Chariho. Xavi went to Richmond Elementary and just graduated from Chariho Middle School. She’s enjoyed her Chariho experiences. And I do everything in my power to support the Chariho School District. 

Chariho Superintendant Barry Ricci and the Chariho School Committee perform admirably. Chariho in particular serves as a great example of the benefits of regionalization.

So I was sad to read about the recent actions of the Charlestown Town Council. The Town Council sent out via their Pipeline newsletter the suggestion that a single taxing district was a likelihood. The conclusion reached by the newsletter was that this would be a disaster for Charlestown taxpayers. 

This seems like a scare tactic. We need to work together to strengthen the district, not divide it with rhetoric.

Rep.Donna Walsh responded to that newsletter last week in your paper. I thought her comments were well constructed and accurate. There is no effort to create a single taxing district. Any Chariho constituent who read the Pipeline should know that there is no truth to that claim.

Tremblay's non-apology apology which STILL misrepresents
what Valencia said and believes. This non-apology also ran in the Sun
on August 28, but as has become common practice at the Sun, was not
published in their electronic version, so no link is available.

I was then disappointed in Charlestown Councilman George Tremblay’s response to Rep. Walsh’s letter (08-14-14). Councilman Tremblay justified the newsletter’s intent by linking two bills I introduced this session. He lumped me in with proponents of tax equalization and then wrote that my bills “propos(e) to …unilaterally open the Chariho Act.”

I encourage readers to take a look at the two short bills. Both are accessible on the state web site, www.rilin.state.ri.us.

H7553 proposes changing the composition of the Chariho School Committee from eleven members to nine. Richmond Town Council asked for this as a matter of fairness. The three towns are nearly identical in population, yet we are currently bound with eleven members and a 4/4/3 split. Richmond is not getting equal representation.

H7568 gives the Chariho School Committee the right to send children to any district school. The intent was to allow the School Committee to keep children closer to the elementary school in their neighborhood. This could reduce busing and perhaps reduce the need to hire additional teachers. It was also intended to give the School Committee additional fiscal flexibility. Richmond Town Council also asked for this bill’s introduction.

Neither bill made it out of committee. Neither bill addresses taxation in any way, shape, or form. 

Neither bill adds to the Chariho budget. The matriculation bill could actually save money. 

Both bills were written narrowly to address the matter at hand. When my matriculation and School Committee membership bills were heard in committee there was zero opposition in person. One person testified in favor, and that was Richmond Town Administrator Rob Rock.

So my bills do not “open the Chariho Act.” If legislation is ever proposed that does affect taxation or increases to the Chariho budget, like Rep. Walsh, I’d insist on a referendum of the voters and the agreement of the three Town Councils.

Mr. Tremblay also used a quote of mine that appeared in February. I’d been quoted “The General Assembly has the right to do whatever they want with the Chariho Act. They’ve proven that in the past.” 

I was talking about how the GA had promised to pay a regionalization bonus forever. The GA then voted to eliminate the bonus, before I was ever elected. I wasn’t talking about instituting tax changes to Chariho single-handedly; I was talking about a prior disservice to the Chariho District that all three towns opposed. 

I opposed that loss and continue to oppose it. I am a cosponsor every year to reinstate that bonus. I do not support unilateral fiscal action by the state on the Chariho Act.

I called Councilman Tremblay to register my complaints. We agreed to disagree about the likelihood of a tax equalization bill. I reiterated my objection to such legislation. But he said he understood my position, and that he’d issue a clarification, which I appreciate. I take it as a sign we can work together to make our great school district even better. EDITOR's NOTE: Larry's optimism is unwarranted based on Tremblay's unapologetic apology where he holds to the belief that there is an anti-Charlestown conspiracy regarding the Chariho School District.