PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- As Rhode Island lawmakers prepare to return to the State House, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said Monday his legislative priorities for 2025 include increasing tax revenue, redeveloping the Superman Building and ending the state takeover of the city schools by summer. The mayor outlined his proposals for new legislation during a briefing with reporters at City Hall. The legislative package focused primarily on state aid, education, taxes and housing. On education, Smiley said that while he previously wouldn't commit to a date for when the city should take back local control of the school district, he's now adamant that his team is ready and he wants the state to relinquish control by July. The Providence Public School District has been under state control since 2019, and state leaders recently extended the takeover for up to three additional years. City officials said they will release their plan for how they would take back control by the spring. "The time is now," Smiley said. The mayor said the city will also need to increase taxes over the state's annual 4% cap after a settlement was reached last year requiring additional city funding for the schools. Smiley estimated at this point the city has $14 million in expenses beyond the current cap that need to be covered. But the revenue side of the equation is still hazy, due in part to the city currently going through its three-year revaluation of properties, which will affect how much tax revenue comes through the door. Smiley declined to estimate how far over the 4% levy the city will ultimately need to go, saying he doesn't yet have a good handle on revenue. Smiley said he expects he'll receive support from the General Assembly and Gov. Dan McKee to allow the one-time raising of the cap, saying everyone understands that the only way they're going to be able to fund the schools "is an increase to our levy." As part of a separate education bill, Smiley is seeking changes to the law that allows the state to take over struggling local school districts. He said the changes wouldn't affect Providence, but that his experience dealing with the largely untested law could help other local districts in the future if they find themselves in a similar situation. The changes include clarifying how much the city must pay toward funding schools, limiting the state education commissioner's authority over withholding state aid, and requiring fiscal oversight of future takeovers. "We're doing this because we've lived through this pain," he said. To help bolster revenue, Smiley wants to apply the state's 7% sales tax to all commercial parking fees, and to give cities and towns the right to opt in to the new law. He estimated the tax could generate about $1 million in new revenue for Providence, and he argued it would help diversify the city's tax base so that it's not as reliant on property taxes. On housing, the mayor is proposing to modify the state's existing Rebuild RI tax credit so that it would allow applicants to receive more public support for housing developments. Smiley said he's seeking the change at the request of the developer of the so-called Superman building, which is the state's tallest building and has been vacant since 2013. City officials said they've met with representatives of the owner, High Rock LLC, in recent weeks. Smiley said the developer will be seeking other public subsidies after his latest attempt at redeveloping the skyscraper hit a wall amid inflation and rising constructions costs. "Whether you’re a proponent or a detractor of that developer -- that building is an anchor that's threatening to drag the rest of downtown down with it," Smiley said. Smiley is also proposing to make changes to the state's controversial "8-Law," which gives subsidies to developers who make some of their housing units affordable. The proposal would clarify language around what's eligible under the law, which has spurred hotly contested disagreement in recent years. The proposal would also make the law applicable to any developer who wants to convert its commercial property into residential units, giving them a multitiered tax break over 20 years. Smiley said it would incentivize developers to create more housing downtown, which has struggled with empty storefronts and office buildings since the coronavirus pandemic. "We have a problem with a glut of commercial space," Smiley said. His priorities also included fully funding the state's Distressed Communities Relief Fund and Payment in Lieu of Taxes allocations, the latter of which wasn't increased last year. He's also seeking an expansion to the state's property tax exemption for veterans, asking that municipalities to set their own exemptions. Smiley is also seeking a surcharge for ratepayers that would help fund an effort to bury the power lines that currently run between India Point Park in Providence over the river to East Providence. The idea has been embroiled in controversy and legal disputes over the past two decades, and while a recent settlement would cover most of the cost of the project, Smiley estimates there's still a $6 million gap. He suggests enabling legislation to allow Rhode Island Energy to charge the average ratepayers $77 in Providence and $32 in East Providence, which would be spread out over three years. "Patrick Lynch was the attorney general the last time this was in the headlines," he quipped. "We need to do this now." Smiley said he's still sorting out which Providence lawmakers will end up sponsoring the various bills at the General Assembly, which is beginning its session on Tuesday. Eli Sherman ([email protected]) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. 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