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Warwick delays broad rewrite of tax‑title transfer rules after public pushback
Summary
City administration proposed a rewrite intended to clear and reassign roughly 1,100 dormant tax‑title interests; residents, land‑trust leaders and some councilors urged more inventory work, notice protections for abutters and council oversight, and the council held the measure for further revision and outreach to Oct. 20.
The Warwick City Council deferred action on an administration‑proposed rewrite of Chapter 2‑14 that would change how tax‑title interests are assigned to third parties. The proposal, framed by the solicitor and assessing director as necessary to align city practice with state law and a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision (Tyler v. Hennepin County), would simplify assignment of tax‑title interests from the city to private parties so dormant tax titles can be reactivated for redevelopment or conservation.
City staff described roughly 1,100 tax‑title records that have accumulated over decades, many of which are small, non‑buildable parcels or strips of land. The stated goal was to create a practical path to clear and return properties to taxable status or enable others (including abutters or developers) to acquire tax‑title interests and complete the legally required foreclosure/right‑of‑redemption procedures.
Multiple residents and organizations urged caution. Jane Austin, chair of the Warwick Land Trust, and other civic speakers requested an inventory and a consistent review process to identify which parcels merit preservation, which could be rebuilt, and which should be sold. Public commenters warned that the draft removed notice and council oversight provisions the public currently relies on and urged the administration to provide a categorized list of tax‑title parcels for review by the land trust and council before any wholesale assignment process begins.
Council members raised similar concerns about notice, abutter rights and the shift of day‑to‑day discretion to administrative staff and the treasurer. The solicitor acknowledged issues raised and offered to produce revisions and a memo addressing council questions. The committee voted to hold first passage until the Oct. 20 meeting and to provide the council with the list of affected parcels and revised language for further review.
Councilors and public‑interest groups recommended a staged approach: vet developable parcels first, return non‑developables to the land trust or open‑space inventories as appropriate, and preserve notice and equitable procedures for abutters and neighborhood stakeholders. Administration staff agreed to circulate a spreadsheet of the affected tax‑title records and to coordinate with land‑trust and council members before the next hearing.
