To the editor:

The General Assembly just passed S-2268 and its House companion bill, H-7126 — legislation to allow Portsmouth to continue its “Enterprise Zone” tax incentive program for local businesses in town.

This is important for us in a number of ways, including helping our commercial enterprises grow and flourish, and to better balance the tax load shouldered by our residential homeowners, who comprise nearly 90 percent of our tax base.

The Portsmouth Town Council originally requested the enabling legislation last November, and unanimously supported the current bill to allow continuation of this highly successful local tax program we’ve offered to the Portsmouth business community for the past 20 years.

Getting this important bill passed could not have happened without the strong support of Middletown Sen. Lou Dipalma, Sen. Wally Felag from Warren, as well as our own Reps. Dennis Canario and House Majority Whip Jay Edwards. 

Sen. Dipalma sponsored the Senate version and Rep. Canario was the House sponsor. They worked hard collaborating with the Town Council and other members of the General Assembly to move the respective bills through their committee approval processes, and then to full General Assembly passage. 

I offer all of you all my heartfelt thanks for pushing this through a long legislative process, and seeing the job done. This means a lot for our town, our taxpayers and our business community. We appreciate your support and persistent efforts to make it all come together.

Jim Seveney

Vice president, Portsmouth Town Council

72 Macomber Lane

Portsmouth