Mayor DaSilva issues executive order to suspend tax penalties

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva today issued an executive order to suspend municipal tax penalties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The order will ultimately suspend all late interest charges of city water bills until further notice, halt all utility shutoffs due to late payments of city water bills until further notice, suspend deadlines to apply for tax exemptions and suspend the city tax sale process for a period of 30 days.

“This is a trying time for East Providence families and residents who aren’t working or who have had to temporarily cease business operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mayor DaSilva said. “This order will provide East Providence families and businesses some relief and decrease financial burden while the city’s residents and the rest of the world cope with this emergency.”

The order comes on the heels of Mayor DaSilva ordering the closure of the East Providence Senior Center and city’s libraries, and declaring a state of emergency and supplemental order, which restricted the number of people attending gatherings to 25, suspended municipal and probate court sessions, canceled non-essential public meetings, suspended entertainment licenses and special event permits for bars, restaurants, social clubs and other events, and limited the number of people at parks, fields and playgrounds to no more than 10 to name a few.

WHEREAS, on March 15, 2020, Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva, issued Executive Order 2020-004 declaring a state of municipal emergency due to the outbreak of COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, on March 16, 2020, Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva, issued the supplemental Executive Order 2020-005 which, amongst other things, restricts the amount of persons attending public gatherings to less than twenty-five (25) persons; and

WHEREAS, the City of East Providence has a strict timeline for payment of taxes and residents who do not pay these taxes on time incur a penalty; and

WHEREAS, this may create a burden to the taxpayers of the city during the COVID-19 Pandemic; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island General Laws §§30-15-12(b) and 30-15-9(e)(1) permit the Mayor to suspend the provisions of any statute, regulation, or requirement prescribing the procedures for the conduct of city business, or the orders, rules, regulations of any city, board, or agency, if strict compliance with the provisions of any statute, order, rule or regulation would in any way prevent, hinder or delay necessary action in coping with this emergency.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva, by virtue of the authority vested in me as the Mayor of the City of East Providence, pursuant to the Rhode Island General Laws and the Home Rule Charter of the City of East Providence, do hereby order and direct the following:

1. All late interest charges of city water bills are hereby suspended until further notice.
2. All utility shutoffs related to the late payment of city water bills are hereby suspended until further notice.
3. All deadlines to apply for tax exemptions for residents of the city are hereby suspended until further notice.
4. The city tax sale process shall be suspended for a period of thirty (30) days.

This Executive Order shall take effect immediately and remain in full force and effect through March 24, 2020, and, with the consent of the City Council, it shall continue in effect and automatically renew for a period of seven (7) days through April 30, 2020.