SASSE

PROVIDENCE — Gary S. Sasse, who for 30 years has been the public face of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council and an influential voice at the State House in fashioning state tax and spending policies, is retiring, RIPEC president Ronald K. Machtley announced yesterday.

Sasse, of East Greenwich, will leave his post Dec. 31, Machtley said. Taking over as RIPEC executive director will be John C. Simmons, who is chief of administration for Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline.

Sasse has long been one of those inside players at the State House who is well-known in political and business circles, even if he isn’t a household name. Governors and legislators come and go, but Sasse and a few other well-placed lobbyists and State House policy aides wield behind-the-scenes authority over how taxpayer money is raised and spent.

Well-grounded in public policy and attuned to shifts in political winds, Sasse has been involved in crafting solutions to some of the state’s momentous financial problems, including the near-bankruptcy of the City of Providence in the early 1980s and the state banking collapse in the early 1990s. And his policy bent and view of politics as the art-of-the-possible led state leaders to consult him on a wide spectrum of topics, including overhauling the state welfare system, changes to education and medical programs, constitutional reforms and state gambling policies.

Governors, mayors and legislators of both parties have especially sought Sasse’s views on tax, spending and bonding issues.

As a Florida State undergraduate, Sasse was a varsity football player; one of his autumn passions is attending Florida State games.

RIPEC is a government research organization financed by contributions from Rhode Island citizens, particularly the state’s business and nonprofit community.

RIPEC is known for producing reams of data on various government programs, including those in education, health care, state and municipal spending and tax policies.

“As the leader of RIPEC for over 30 years, Gary Sasse has been a key resource for elected officials, government staff and, most importantly , the taxpayers of Rhode, Island,” said Machtley, a former Republican U.S. House member who is now president of Bryant University.

“He has helped to ensure that state government remains not only fiscally responsible, but mindful of the impact of tax and spending policies on our economic competitiveness. RIPEC and the state of Rhode Island have benefited enormously from his wise counsel and tireless effort.”

Machtley said that under Simmons, RIPEC’s mission of producing extensive policy analysis will continue.

While some legislators, and particularly the Narragansett Indian Tribe, said last year that RIPEC had been stripped of its non-partisan aura when it strongly opposed the tribe’s proposal for a casino in West Warwick, Machtley yesterday defended the decision.

Approval of the casino, Machtley said, would have cost the state revenues from its existing slot-machine businesses at Newport and Lincoln. “We felt the economics justified that position,” said Machtley. “The state would have lost $100 million in revenue.”

Simmons, 61, of Providence, has had a long career in state and municipal finance in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including stints as the chief of administration of the region’s two largest cities, Boston and Providence. He is a graduate of Central Connecticut State College and holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Hartford.

“I think it is a challenging time for the state and RIPEC needs to be part of the discussion in these challenging times,” said Simmons. “It is an extraordinary honor to follow in the footsteps of such a fine, gifted and truly legendary public servant as Gary Sasse.”

smackay@projo.com