Machtley Urges Governor to Veto Legislation Allowing Smithfield to Bill Bryant

Bryant President Ronald Machtley says the university is reviewing all its legal options after the General Assembly authorized Smithfield to bill them for the cost of police, fire and rescue, urging Gov. Lincoln Chafee to veto the legislation in a release posted on their website. 

Last week the Assembly gave final passage to dual bills sponsored by Sen. Stephen R. Archambault (D-Dist. 22,Smithfield, North Providence, Johnston) and Rep. Thomas Winfield (D-Dist. 53, Smithfield, Glocester) (2013-S 0026Aaa and2013-H 5083A)

During a press conference late Sunday afternoon, Machtley said resources spent fighting the legislation would not be available for education of Bryant and Smithfield Public Schools students, according to a video of his remarks at WPRI.com.
Bryant also posted a long list of contributions the university makes to the Smithfield community on their website:

• Bryant pumps more than $17 million in to the local economy, benefitting hotels, restaurants, retailers and other businesses each year. In addition, the University employs - and educates - many area residents.  

• Each year, Bryant contributes more than $800,000 in direct and in-kind support to the Town of Smithfield. More than $300,000 of that is voluntary.  Last year we provided approximately $300,000 of educational services and facilities use for the town. We grant a full four-year scholarship to the highest-ranked Smithfield High School graduate. Smithfield’s graduation ceremony is held on our campus. Bryant hosts the town’s annual Independence Day Celebration. Smithfield teachers and students participate in programs through our U.S.-China Institute and Confucius Institute. Smithfield’s teams use Bryant’s athletic facilities, when available. 

• This $300,000 in services and facilities use that Bryant provides the town comes on top of the nearly $1.5 million that the University pays Smithfield for sewer, water, and other services. In fact, Bryant pays a higher water rate to help subsidize the community rate. 

• Like other cities and towns where colleges and universities reside, Smithfield receives almost $500,000 from the state of Rhode Island through the PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) program. These payments were established to compensate municipalities for any costs associated with having a nonprofit, tax-exempt university in the community.  

• Mindful of the burden of student debt, Bryant, as a tuition-driven institution, is not in a position to make an additional, significant cash contribution to the town.  Any new sums Bryant is required to pay to the town of Smithfield will come from increased tuition at a time when students nationwide are struggling to pay ever increasing tuition costs. Several months ago, however,  we proposed donating 200 computers per year from our refurbished stock -- at an additional cost to Bryant of $80,000 to $100,000 -- to help make Smithfield High School a leading institution nationwide in the adoption of technology in support of student success. This proposal would have represented a 33 percent increase in our contribution to the town over the next 10 years.  

• All of this is in addition to the inherent cultural and educational advantage the University extends to the town and its residents, who are welcomed to events such as those featuring prominent speakers, noted authors, and premier musicians.  

• Unlike all other university campuses in Rhode Island, Bryant is self-contained. We are solely responsible for road and utility maintenance, trash collection, and general operational and administrative control of the 420-acre campus. The Town of Smithfield provides police and fire protection to Bryant and we do not contest payment for false alarms.  As you know, the University maintains an extensive Department of Public Safety that ably handles everyday issues on campus.  

• Much of the friction between many educational institutions and their host communities is the result of issues arising from students living off campus, disrupting local neighborhoods. Today 89 percent of Bryant’s students live on campus. Few students live in apartments in the surrounding community. 

• Some proponents of this legislation have noted that Providence colleges and universities paid significant sums to Rhode Island’s capital city. But that situation is drastically different from ours. Nonprofit institutions occupy almost 40 percent of the land in Providence, a city that was near bankruptcy.  Bryant occupies a mere 2 percent of the land in Smithfield and already voluntarily pays taxes for any property removed from the tax rolls.