Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council
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Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council

Municipal Finance

Rhode Island Police and Fire Spending Very High and Growing

Municipal Finance / By

Rhode Island spends substantially more on police and fire protection than most states. Funded largely through local revenues, these expenditures are key drivers of the property tax burden of Rhode Island residents and businesses. The taxpayer burden varies considerably across communities, reflecting differences in how these services are delivered and wide variations in staffing, compensation,

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Rhode Island Property Taxes in FY 2026: Higher Increases and Growing Tax Shifts

Business Climate, Housing, Municipal Finance, Tax Policy / By

Rhode Island Property Tax Update Higher Tax Increases in FY 2026 Burdens Continue to Shift to Businesses and Renters In FY 2026, about one in five municipalities exceeded the state-mandated 4.0 percent levy cap, andoverall property tax increases were higher than at any point in the last decade. As these increasestake hold, landlords, renters, and

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How Rhode Island Taxing and Spending Compares

All, Municipal Finance, State Finance, Tax Policy / By

How Rhode Island Compares: State and Local Taxing and Spending How Rhode Island Compares uses the most recent available state and local revenue and expenditure data—for fiscal year (FY) 2023—to compare taxing and spending in the Ocean State to the United States and the New England region. Across 31 revenue and spending categories, this report

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RIPEC Reports on Rhode Island’s Shift in State and Local Taxes and K-12 Funding

Education, Municipal Finance, Tax Policy / By

PROVIDENCE, RI –  The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) has released a new report analyzing a major shift in Rhode Island’s mix of state and local tax revenues, with significant implications for education funding, the state’s economy, and housing affordability. RIPEC’s report finds that Rhode Island’s tax system has undergone a profound transformation in

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Shifting Burdens in Rhode Island’s Property Tax System

Municipal Finance, Tax Policy / By

PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) released a report today finding that Rhode Island’s property tax system is rife with disparities among taxpayers and across cities and towns. Building on a RIPEC 2022 analysis of property taxes, the report found that an extreme uptick in residential property values over the past

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RIPEC Releases “How Cities and Towns Spend Their Money” Report

Municipal Finance / By

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) released their report “Municipal Services in Rhode Island: How Cities and Towns Spend Their Money” today. The fourth in a series on municipal finance, the report analyzes how municipalities allocate resources across non-education services, such as public safety, public works, and administration, and offers policy recommendations

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Rhode Island’s Funding Formula After Ten Years: Education Finance in the Ocean State

Education, Elementary and Secondary Education, Funding, Municipal Finance / By

PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council released a report on Rhode Island’s education finance system today. The report, the third in RIPEC’s series on municipal finance, found that the overhaul of the state’s education finance system a decade ago has been successful in increasing the state’s share of overall education revenues and

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How Rhode Island Compares: 2022 Edition

Municipal Finance, State Finance, Tax Policy / By

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council released today an analysis of “How Rhode Island Compares” to the U.S. and New England on state and local revenues and expenditures, using the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau (from fiscal year 2019). The report provides valuable insights for policymakers, given the

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A System Out of Balance: Property Taxation Across Rhode Island

Municipal Finance, Tax Policy / By

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island struggles with large imbalances in property wealth, as well as striking differences among the tax burdens of resident homeowners, nonresident homeowners, and businesses, according to a report released today by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC). The report, “A System Out of Balance: Property Taxation Across Rhode Island,” found

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An Introduction to Municipal Finance in Rhode Island

Education, Funding, Municipal Finance, Tax Policy / By

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council released today “An Introduction to Municipal Finance in Rhode Island.” The first of a series, in this report RIPEC establishes a foundational overview of the structures of municipal finance in Rhode Island to serve as a backdrop for a more in-depth investigation into subject areas affecting

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