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Council tables proposal to add a conservation conveyance fee; instructs solicitor to draft ordinance changing conveyance‑tax allocation
Summary
A councilor proposed a Little‑Compton‑style conveyance fee to fund conservation and property‑tax relief. The idea was tabled pending outreach to open‑space groups; separately the council directed the solicitor to draft an ordinance to temporarily lower the town’s minimum conveyance‑tax allocation from 25% to 10% for further study.
Tiverton — The council discussed a proposal to create a conservation/timber trust funded by an additional conveyance fee on property sales (a model similar to Little Compton’s program) and took two separate procedural steps: it tabled the conservation‑fee proposal for further outreach and directed the solicitor to draft an ordinance reducing the town’s minimum 25% allocation of real‑estate conveyance tax revenue to 10% for further consideration.
Conservation fee proposal: Councilor Hayden presented a draft outline for a fee on property transfers over a threshold (the draft used $450,000 as an illustrative minimum) designed to generate funds for land acquisition and to fund property tax relief. The councilor provided a back‑of‑envelope estimate indicating a multi‑year potential revenue stream (his example projected up to about $1.86 million over five years under assumed sale volumes and thresholds) and urged engagement with the town’s existing conservation and land‑trust organizations.
Reaction and next steps: Council members and open‑space advocates said the idea needs more stakeholder work; several councilors and residents expressed concern about layered fees that could hurt individual homeowners and called for review with the Open Space Commission and the Tiverton Land Trust. Councilor Dimodiras made a motion to table the conservation‑fee item and asked councilor Hayden to consult with open‑space groups; the motion to table passed.
Conveyance tax allocation directive: Separately, councilor Hayden moved — and the council approved — a motion directing the solicitor to draft an ordinance that would change the town’s existing requirement that a minimum of 25% of the town’s portion of the conveyance tax be reserved for the Open Space and Land Preservation Commission. The solicitor and administrator explained the current 25% minimum is codified, would require an amended ordinance and would need public advertisement and a hearing before any final change.
Why it matters: Both items touch on how the town generates recurring revenue for open‑space protection and other priorities. The conservation‑fee idea would create a new dedicated revenue stream tied to high‑value property transfers; changing the existing transfer‑tax allocation would reassign existing funds. Councilors emphasized both technical and political tradeoffs and asked for more study before moving forward.
What’s next: Councilor Hayden will consult open‑space organizations and return with a refined plan. The solicitor will prepare draft ordinance language to change the conveyance‑tax allocation for council review and public hearing scheduling.
