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2/8/2017
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Rep. Cunha introduces legislation for retiree tax break on sewer bills
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 STATE HOUSE – Rep. Helder J. Cunha (D-Dist. 64, East Providence) introduced legislation (2017-H 5423) that would provide an income tax credit of 25 percent for taxpayers over the age of 65 who pay a water or sewer bill on their primary residence.
“This legislation is needed because our retirees and elderly residents on fixed incomes are being crippled financially due to rising sewer and water costs on a yearly basis,” said Representative Cunha. “In East Providence alone, the sewer bills are rising beyond the means of our senior citizens’ ability to pay. We cannot ask our retirees to forego food and medicine in order to keep the water flowing in houses that they have lived in for decades. This bill will keep more money in our elderly residents’ pockets and keep them from having to make the terrible choice of moving from their homes or having running water.”
According to the legislation, the tax credit cannot exceed $250 and would be applied to the taxpayers’ personal income tax obligation.
“This still doesn’t resolve East Providence’s biggest problem regarding our sewers but it is a good first step toward relief for our taxpayers and the East Providence delegation at the State House is hard at work to restructure our sewer bond so that our residents will not be saddled with rising sewer bills every single year,” added Representative Cunha.
The legislation has been referred to the House Committee on Finance and the cosponsors of the bill are Rep. Gregg Amore (D-Dist. 65, East Providence), Rep. Jean Philippe Barros (D-Dist. 59, Pawtucket), Rep. Katherine S. Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence), and Rep. Shelby Maldonado (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls).
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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