I support establishing a dedicated and sustainable funding source for Newport's resiliency and infrastructure needs. However, any proposal for an additional real estate conveyance fee must be evaluated for its financial impact, particularly on housing affordability and prospective homebuyers.
I would not support imposing an additional financial burden without a clear understanding of its impact, how the revenue would be used, and whether alternative funding sources are available.
It’s why I support the creation of a Steering Committee to enable to the stakeholders to come to table and come up with ways in which we aren’t inadvertently tipping the scale in on direction or the other. So that creative ways of approaching this issue can be achieved.