Burrillville Town Council Seeks to Repeal Local Land Trust’s Tax-Exempt Status
Opponents believe action is linked to organization's involvement in artificial turf field lawsuit
March 14, 2025
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BURRILLVILLE, R.I. — A Town Council resolution asking the General Assembly to repeal a private land trust’s tax-exempt status failed at a Wednesday night meeting following vigorous and at times contentious public comment and debate.
The resolution read into the record by Town Council President Donald Fox requested the repeal of the public laws which exempt the Burrillville Land Trust from paying taxes on properties it owns worth up to $2 million.
The land trust, which has been around for almost 25 years, owns about 300 acres and makes some of those lands open to the public for recreation.
The drafted resolution said the town “should be responsible for the acquisition and preservation of land” and that it doesn’t want to be in competition with the private land trust.
If the laws were repealed, which would require an act of the General Assembly, the land trust would still exist but would likely pay about $4,000 in taxes on the properties it holds, according to analysis by town manager Michael Wood.
In addition to discussion about the town’s desire to have more control over conservation lands and tax rolls, the resolution also stated, “The local private land trust is actively working at cross purposes with the elected Town leaders.”
Council member Dennis Anderson said he used to be a supporter of the land trust but had soured on the organization when it became a “fundraising arm for legal expenses to sue the town.”
After the meeting Fox declined to comment on whether there was a connection between the decision to draft the resolution and the land trust’s potential involvement in a lawsuit against the town over the installation of an artificial turf field at Burrillville High School, citing ongoing litigation.
In legal documents reviewed by ecoRI News, the town mentions the trust by name, claiming the organization is funding the complaint, but it does not go so far as to name the trust as a defendant in its own countersuit against Roberta Lacey, who is the plaintiff in the ongoing turf case.
Land trust president Paul Roselli, who couldn’t attend the meeting but spoke to ecoRI News by phone Thursday morning, said he believed the resolution was presented to the council because of Lacey’s suit.
“Of course it is,” he said. “When any organization whether it be the conservation commissions or the land trust … or anybody goes against something [Fox] is in favor of, of course he’s going to lash out.”
Roselli has spoken out against the artificial field, citing concerns about potential contamination from forever chemicals and writing a letter to the council in opposition of the fake field.
“I think this is such an incredible waste of time,” he said.
Other members and supporters of the land trust who attended the March 12 Town Council meeting defended the organization, with only one resident speaking in favor of the resolution.
“I commend the work that Burrillville Land Trust does,” Ronald Daignault testified, but “I don’t support taxes being exempt for pieces of property that I can’t use for my enjoyment,” referring to the fact that many of the trust’s properties aren’t open for hunting.
Betty Menucci, who sits on the board of directors for the trust, said many of the properties that don’t allow hunting are honoring the wishes of previous owners or are too close to dwellings. She also told the council about the hours of volunteer work that go into fundraising and conserving the acreage the trust holds. She listed events the trust holds for the public and the trails, some of which she has personally stewarded.
“There’s a nice sign for the Bobcat Loop Trail,” which is on land trust property, Menucci said. “It was made by a volunteer. That volunteer was me. I painted wood. I routed the sign. I painted the sign. I bought a post for the sign with my own money. I dug the hole when I set the post.”
Regarding the proposed resolution, “I have no clue where this came from, why suddenly the land trust is being picked on for losing its nonprofit status. I mean, I just learned about this a few days ago,” she said.
The agenda item for the resolution did not name the land trust. It read, “Consider and act on adopting a resolution requesting the repeal of Chapters 276 and 299 of the Public Laws of 2017; or take any other action thereon.”
Menucci was one of several residents to complain that the agenda item was not clear and that one would have to search for those specific laws to know they had anything to do with the trust or its tax-exempt status.
Fox said he took responsibility for not specifically mentioning the trust on the agenda.
“I review the agenda with the clerk whenever we prepare it,” he told ecoRI News when the meeting was over. “Oversight on my part, nothing was intentional despite what was said.”
Although the resolution failed, when asked if he would pursue a similar or modified resolution in the future, Fox said “keep yourself posted to future agendas.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story was headlined “Burrillville Town Council Seeks to Repeal Local Land Trust’s Nonprofit Status.” The headline was changed to reflect the fact that the town resolution sought to repeal the land trust’s tax-exempt status.
Thank you, Colleen, for bringing visibility to this shocking attack on a trust that has worked tirelessly to protect Burrillville’s rural character and environment. The Burrillville Land Trust has been a critical advocate for preserving our forests, wildlife, and open spaces—yet our Town Council is attempting to dismantle it under the guise of a vague and misleading agenda item.
Council President Don Fox buried this vote in legal jargon to avoid public scrutiny, and only after the community caught on were they forced to explain themselves. Let’s be clear: this is an attack on conservation, not a fiscal necessity.
Lies and Misinformation Exposed:
❌ The Land Trust is NOT the “fundraising arm” of the artificial turf opposition—that’s the residents of Burrillville standing up for their town.
❌ The Land Trust does NOT have a policy against hunting—they follow the wishes of landowners or are restricted by property size and state regulations.
❌ The Land Trust is NOT competing with a municipal land trust—most towns welcome private land trusts because they can apply for grants that municipalities cannot.
If this is really about getting properties on the tax roll, will the Town Council also go after churches, which are valued at over $22,000,000? Or is this just another politically motivated attack to silence opposition?
The more organizations working to protect Burrillville’s environment, the better. This is a blatant attempt to weaken conservation efforts in our town, and residents deserve to know the truth. Thank you again, Colleen, for shining a light on this underhanded move!
I believe this a personal attack on the land trust because of the land trust’s opposition to the artificial turf. I believe the Town specifically Don Fox is targeting anyone opposed and bringing attention to the harm that PFAS can cause to the human and non-human population as well as our environment.
I chose to live my senior years in Burrillville because of its rural character and the conservation efforts of the land trust as well as the Town Conservation program.
As a resident I wholeheartedly support the opposition to chemically treated turf and I support the Burrillville Land Trust.
This feels like the wave of bullying that is coming from the federal government. It is a scary day when it trickles down to the local level. The BLT is all volunteer and doing great work that will save taxpayers money and increase property value in the long run. I hope they can expand their holdings without future harassment.
In my decades of environmental work I have found that, when a town council states, “The local private land trust is actively working at cross purposes with the elected Town leaders,” it is the purposes of the elected town leaders that need scrutiny and review, NOT the work of the local private land trust.
The value added benefit of land trust properties throughout a town far exceeds the taxes lost. A strong and vibrant land trust is a sure sign of a strong and vibrant community–one that respects its land and promotes its health and well being. There is no expenditure of the tax monies gained from this ill-advised resolution that could possibility give to the town that which the land trust already provides.
I don’t like paying for things I don’t use either, such as the local school system, BUT THAT IS WHAT CITIZENS OF A COMMUNITY DO FOR THE GREATER GOOD.
I hope the residents of Burrillville vote out their self serving Town Council President at the next election. Stupid actions deserve to be noticed and acted on by the residents of Burrillville.