property tax

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation issued its latest report on the state of municipal budgets [Full Article: The Boston Globe].  There are no real surprises...that is if you have been paying attention to the economy, discussions in the State House regarding revenues and budget cuts, and watching your own city or town lose employees.  The surprises may be the magnitude of the unfunded pension and health funds that were measurable and promised as part of employment...that's unconscionable.

Our families and our communities need investments in the services, schools, and infrastructure that make Massachusetts a great place to live and work.  How will this happen?  In order to make the necessary investments, we need to raise significant revenues.  Governor Cuomo in New York has taken the lead, as has Governor Brown in California...That revenue should come primarily from the highest income earners.

“The numbers demonstrate just how difficult this recession and fiscal crisis have been for cities and towns,’’ said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. “Their revenues have been virtually flat, while their costs have grown, which has meant cuts in schools, public safety, and other basic services for most cities and towns.’’

“These are challenging times,’’ said Michael V. O’Brien, the Worcester city manager. “The global economy, the national economy, and the regional economy have all suffered in the downturn, so the revenues aren’t there for the state to distribute.’’

The 2009 repeal of a state law that exempted telephone companies from paying property taxes on telephone poles and wires over public ways continues to reap financial rewards for cities and towns across the state. But while the extra revenue is helping to offset a recent round of cuts in state aid, the money isn’t enough to completely alleviate municipalities’ ongoing monetary headaches, say officials in cities and towns across the western suburbs “I suppose it’s not much, but when the town is struggling, that’s an employee or two, so that’s good,’’ said Stow's Assessor Dorothy Wilbur. [Full Article: Boston Globe]

Marlborough recommends the tax incentive proposal, amount not stated, for Vestas, the world's largest manufacturer of utility-scale wind turbines.  With this partial property tax exemption comes the promise of jobs and involvement in K-12 STEM education programs.

[Mark] Buschenfeldt said Vestas employs 22,000 employees across 65 countries and five continents and controls about 15 percent of the global wind technology market. He said the Marlborough facility would be used to research, develop and test generators used in Vestas turbines.  ..."Vestas is truly a global company," he said. "This is the future and I'm really pleased to have a headquarters here in Marlborough."  [Full Article: Wicked Local Hudson]

Tax incentives for job creation... first business promises 4 jobs over 10 years...and 11 other parcels may be eligible for same tax deal.

A statement released Thursday by the Economic Development Task Force said this development was the first step toward designating Westport as an "Economic Target Area," which would make businesses in the area eligible for tax incentives "in exchange for job creation, manufacturing job retention and private investment commitments."   [Full Article: SouthCoast Today]

Here's another word to add to the current budget and fiscal crisis lexicon...the "funding cliff."  With so many resourceful and thoughtful people in this country, you'd think we'd have anticipated and alleviated this situation...

School systems are experiencing a triple whammy. Federal resources are drying up at the same time that state budgets are being cut and revenues from local property taxes are shrinking due to falling housing prices and foreclosures.  ...the cuts districts are experiencing could be deep enough and last long enough to stall or upend the reforms that are most likely to contribute to improving our schools as well as the nation’s economic situation in the future.  [Full Article:  The Washington Post-The Answer Sheet]

$44 million in tax breaks to businesses...included in this is ~$317 thousand to Bank of New York Mellon Corp, the organization that Treasurer Steve Grossman says overcharged the MA state pension funds $30.5 million since 2000.  Are the different departments communicating within the Administration?

A state economic development board today approved state and local tax breaks for 16 firms that promised to add or retain jobs in Massachusetts. [Full Article: Boston Globe]

Is the town of Shirley facing the "R"-word...Receivership?  Will its residents vote for a balanced approach to address the deficit - additional revenues and strategic cuts - to perhaps forestall the Receivership?

... in July, Town Meeting will be faced with the daunting task of having to cut $552,000 from the budget after voters earlier this month returned $60,000 to the budget for the library, $4,608 to pay a Zoning Board of Appeals clerk and $487,000 toward the $4.7 million assessment requested by the Regional School Committee...If the override fails, the town will be forced to cut $704,000 from the budget. [Full Article: Sentinel and Enterprise]

Although the Town approved the latest special assessment of $1.1 million, it's not a slam dunk that the School Department will receive needed funds of $700,000 to address a funding gap.

At a recent School Committee meeting [Superintendent of Schools Richard] Langlois presented potential budget cuts in three tiers that started at $420,000 and rose to $1.2 million. He was forced to take action because the School Department needs an additional $1,613,659 to maintain the current level of services next year — which is less than the total raised by the special assessment.  [Full Article: Wicked Local Saugus]

Ms. Eurim Chun couldn't have said it better. It is time to invest in our future and in our communities!

By unofficial count, the override lost by only 49 votes.  Per household in Sudbury, the average annual tax bill would increase $88; that's .8% of the average amount the current homeowner is currently paying.

“Everyone gets impacted by how the cuts play out,’’[Scott] Carpenter said. “It touches every student at every grade level.’’...While the cuts aren’t massive, Carpenter said, they come on the heels of incremental budget cuts over the past 10 years.  [Full Article: Boston Globe]