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    Newport’s Property Tax Loophole: Some Landlords Pay $0 in Property Tax While Neighbors Pay Thousands

    Newport City Hall where officials canceled a meeting after a City Charter violation was discovered in the proposed residential parking permit ordinance.

    City Pulls Emergency Meeting After Newport Buzz Flags Charter Violation in Parking Plan

    Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. endorses former Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong for Rhode Island lieutenant governor during a visit to A&H Manufacturing.

    ‘A New Generation’: Johnston Mayor Polisena Backs Former Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong for Lieutenant Governor

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    Newport’s Property Tax Loophole: Some Landlords Pay $0 in Property Tax While Neighbors Pay Thousands

    Newport City Hall where officials canceled a meeting after a City Charter violation was discovered in the proposed residential parking permit ordinance.

    City Pulls Emergency Meeting After Newport Buzz Flags Charter Violation in Parking Plan

    Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. endorses former Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong for Rhode Island lieutenant governor during a visit to A&H Manufacturing.

    ‘A New Generation’: Johnston Mayor Polisena Backs Former Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong for Lieutenant Governor

  • Real Estate

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    27 Marcello Drive contemporary coastal home in Jamestown RI with Newport Bridge and ocean views sold for $3.295 million

    Jamestown Home With Newport Bridge Views Sells for $3.295 Million, Highest Sale of 2026

    Modern coastal estate perched above Sakonnet Passage

    Architectural Masterpiece with Panoramic Coastal Views Lists for $4.45M in Little Compton

    The Walcott Avenue Collection, three waterfront properties in Jamestown overlooking Narragansett Bay

    The Walcott Avenue Collection – A Rare Waterfront Legacy in Jamestown. Three Properties, Endless Possibility.

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    Jeremy Alan “Jed” Plotkin of Cary, North Carolina, formerly of Newport, Rhode Island.

    Obituary: Jeremy Alan “Jed” Plotkin (1975-2026)

    Joseph Angelo Belli of Middletown, Rhode Island, who died March 3, 2026

    Obituary: Joseph Angelo Belli (1930-2026)

    Jonathan Cooper Newport RI obituary

    Obituary: Jonathan Cooper (1967-2026)

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    Jeremy Alan “Jed” Plotkin of Cary, North Carolina, formerly of Newport, Rhode Island.

    Obituary: Jeremy Alan “Jed” Plotkin (1975-2026)

    Newport City Hall where officials canceled a meeting after a City Charter violation was discovered in the proposed residential parking permit ordinance.

    City Pulls Emergency Meeting After Newport Buzz Flags Charter Violation in Parking Plan

    URI students walking across Quadrangle after Wall Street Journal ranking announced

    URI Police Warn of Video Voyeurism Incidents in Dorm Shower Areas

politics

Former presidential candidate Herman Cain has died from COVID complications

RI ACLU Challenges Rhode Island’s Vote-by-Mail Requirements that Risk the Health of Voters

Bristol Awarded $623K Boating Infrastructure Grant for Expansion of Bristol Maritime Center

Raimondo Signs Legislation Reforming Parentage Laws in Rhode Island

Trump

Trump Moves To Exclude Illegal Immigrants From New Congressional Redistricting Maps — Here’s How He’ll Do It

Black Lives Matter Newport RI

Newport Democratic City Committee Issues Public Statement on Racism

Governor Raimondo Directs Flags to Fly at Half-Staff in Honor of Representative John Lewis

RI State House

This week at the Rhode Island General Assembly

State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

Rhode Islanders to vote on removing ‘Plantations’ from state name

RI Gun Laws

RI General Assembly approves bill requiring notification of police in gun buyer’s hometown

Governor Raimondo

Raimondo Announces $100 Million in Funds for State’s Small Businesses

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A quirk in Newport’s property tax system is allowi A quirk in Newport’s property tax system is allowing some condo owners to pay nothing in property taxes — even while collecting thousands of dollars a month in rent. The issue stems from the city’s two-tier property tax program, which exempts a large portion of a home’s assessed value before taxes are calculated. Right now, that exemption is about $284,433, roughly 24% of the average value of eligible homes after the last revaluation. For many smaller condos in Newport — especially one-bedroom units assessed between $225,000 and $275,000 — that exemption wipes out the entire taxable value. The result? A $0 property tax bill. Some of those units are rented year-round. In one example uncovered by Newport Buzz, a condo owner reportedly collects about $2,500 a month in rent — $30,000 a year — while paying no property taxes at all. Meanwhile, other Newport homeowners are paying thousands. A home assessed at $500,000 would have roughly $219,000 in taxable value after the exemption, resulting in an annual property tax bill of about $1,572. A home assessed at $700,000 would have about $419,000 taxed, producing a bill of roughly $3,007. And a home assessed at $900,000 would have approximately $619,000 in taxable value, resulting in an annual property tax bill of about $4,444 at Newport’s residential rate of $7.177 per $1,000. The system was originally designed to ease the burden on homes owned and occupied by full-time residents in a city where property prices have soared. But critics say the policy appears to contain a major loophole: the tax break applies whether the property is owner-occupied or used as an income-producing rental. That means some landlords are benefiting from the same tax relief intended for residents — leaving other homeowners to shoulder a larger share of the tax burden. Newport Buzz has reached out to the City of Newport for comment. #newportri #newportbuzz
Happy Wednesday, March 11th! Here’s What’s Happeni Happy Wednesday, March 11th! Here’s What’s Happening In and Around Newport Today! @bottegabocconi @hookednewport @sardellas_italian @tavernonbroadway @thequenchernewport @nikolaspizza @forty1north @adventuresinerindelle @newportcannaco
NEWPORT — Newport’s controversial residential park NEWPORT — Newport’s controversial residential parking proposal just hit another speed bump. The city abruptly canceled a special City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday night after Newport Buzz flagged a violation of the city’s charter in the rushed rollout of the ordinance. City Manager Colin Kennedy’s office had planned to hold the first reading of the ordinance Wednesday and the second reading Thursday — despite Newport’s City Charter requiring at least 48 hours between ordinance readings. The schedule conflicted with Section 2-20 of the Newport City Charter, which requires ordinances to be read on two separate days with at least a 48-hour gap unless declared an emergency. After the issue was pointed out by Newport Buzz, the city canceled the Thursday meeting. City officials acknowledged the mistake in a statement. “In our attempt to get the residential parking program debate back on track, we overlooked the requirement mandating 48 hours of separation between readings,” the city said. Officials now plan to hold the first reading Wednesday, March 11, with a second reading scheduled for March 25 if necessary. The delay raises new questions about the program’s timeline. Under the current plan, residents are supposed to begin applying for parking permits on April 1. If the ordinance isn’t finalized until late March, it’s unclear whether the city will still be able to launch the application process on schedule — or if it will need to be pushed back. The proposal would also require residents to apply for parking permits every year and prove their residency each time, creating a new annual administrative burden for thousands of households and city workers responsible for processing applications. Critics say the plan is a problem in search of a solution, and the bungled rollout is only adding to concerns about how the policy is being handled. Some have also pointed out that it’s perhaps not surprising a city manager who was hired in direct violation of the city charter wouldn’t know what the charter actually requires. For now, Newport’s parking debate debacle continues. #newportri #newportbuzz
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