We're launching a new blog, Budget Blues, to cover the financial struggles facing Massachusetts communities and their tax payers. We'll write about property tax overrides, budget cuts and some of the spending priorities cities and towns make. [...]
Some area communities with the most to gain from new taxes on restaurant meals and hotel rooms donÂ’t appear to be in a hurry to snag the extra cash. Oct. 1 is the earliest that municipalities can begin collecting the... [...]
Lakeville residents will decide on Saturday whether to raise taxes in order to ease a town fiscal crunch that recently resulted in steep cuts, including layoffs of police officers and teachers. [...]
Faced with steep cuts in state aid, some cities and towns are starting to consider adopting new local taxes on hotel rooms and restaurant meals to bring in additional revenue. [...]
By Christine Legere Globe Correspondent It was definitely a cliff-hanger, but a hand tally of over 5,000 election ballots on Monday night essentially supported the result of a machine count done on the June 6 election day: A $6.2 million... [...]
The margin was about as tight as it could get last Saturday, but Walpole's voters approved a $6.2 million temporary tax increase, called a debt exclusion, so a new public library can be built. The vote was 2,774 in favor... [...]
Milton taxpayers are being asked to support a $3.4 million tax-limit override proposal Monday that would allow the town to provide essentially the same level of service next year that it has in the current fiscal year. A handful of... [...]
Using networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, members of a group pushing for money for the Wellington Elementary School in Belmont are targeting newly registered voters who still feel a connection to the elementary school and were energized by last... [...]
Winthrop voters approved eight of 10 Proposition 2 ½ overrides at a special election yesterday. Passage of the eight measures will generate an added $2.5 million in local tax dollars to fund varied operating costs in the next fiscal... [...]
The signs posted along Middleton's main roads seemed evenly split between "yes" and "no," and the vote at the ballot box wasn't much different. On Monday, Middleton supported a $16 million Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion override to build a...' [...]
With a potential school override off the books because it failed in neighboring Hamilton, an underwhelming turnout of 286 of Wenham's approximately 2,700 registered voters turned out to approve a $64,500 Proposition 2 1/2 one-year capital exclusion at Thursday's special... [...]
It's back to the drawing board in Boxford, where Town Meeting voters Tuesday failed to support debt exclusions - property tax increases for a period of years until debt is paid off - that would have paved the way for...' [...]
A sometimes bitter fight between residents who oppose more taxes and those who support building a new elementary school attracted nearly 800 to Town Meeting in Middleton Tuesday night. With lines forming outside North Shore Technical High School as... [...]
With so many residents feeling override fatigue, it takes a lot for a town to push any type of exemption from the state's Proposition 2½ tax limit. In the case of Manchester-by-the-Sea, it may take a state mandate. Two... [...]
Voters are starting to deliver their verdicts on proposed tax increases in the region north of Boston - with mixed results - in what is shaping up as a quiet year for the perennial local issue. In the last few... [...]
The poor economy was cited when Winthrop voters - by a nearly 2-1 ration - said no to a $1.55 million override last June that would have helped fund the schools and several town departments. The economy is even worse... [...]
Wareham and Freetown officials are optimistic that their libraries will regain certification at the next meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners on Thursday, but their struggle to maintain state approval in the future is already looming large. The... [...]
Upton voters on Monday defeated a $650,000 property tax override. The final tally was 557-328, according to unofficial results. The new money was intended to initially fund approximately $240,000 in upgrades to the Station Street sewage pumping station and pay... [...]
Proposed tax increases met with mixed results in balloting yesterday in north of Boston communities. At Merrimac’s annual town election, residents narrowly approved a $315,000 Proposition 2 ½ override by a vote of 404-392 to fund $215,000 of the town’s... [...]
After months of grappling with a $2.2 million budget shortfall, with frequent public forums to keep Hull voters appraised of their options and able to voice their opinions, Town Manager Phil Lemnios presented newly revised budget options for the May... [...]
A year removed from a $1.88 million Proposition 2 ½ override for its operating budget, the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District is coming back to voters in those towns seeking a $1,241,000 debt exclusion that would raise property taxes for... [...]
As local residents struggle to get by in a dismal economy, municipal officials in communiteis west of Boston say they are reluctant to ask voters to raise their property taxes. In towns like Sudbury, Holliston, and Wellesley they are making... [...]
In another round of a recurring battle over taxes in Winthrop, supporters and opponents of a series of proposed overrides are preparing to press their cases with voters. [...]
Top officials in many communities south of Boston have asked municipal employees to give up scheduled raises for the coming year, saying the alternative to holding down wages is substantial layoffs. Bridgewater, Raynham, Braintree, and Quincy are just a few... [...]
Distaste for taxes is leading three towns south of Boston to consider rolling back the property tax surcharge that helps pay for popular Community Preservation Act projects.. Starting Saturday, residents at Town Meetings in Duxbury, Hingham, and Plymouth will vote... [...]
Saying the town's schools are on a budget path to disaster, Carver school officials are asking residents to do what they haven't done in 25 years: approve a tax override. Carver schools laid off 13 teachers this year and face...' [...]
By Christine Legere, Globe Correspondent Hingham residents could get the worst of both worlds next year - higher taxes and lower spending. Town Accountant Ted Alexiades has predicted that revenue in fiscal 2010 - a combination of state aid and... [...]
By John Laidler, Globe Correspondent Cities and towns north of Boston are beginning to shed municipal jobs and services as they struggle to stay afloat fiscally amid recent and expected losses in state aid. Revere, Chelsea, Swampscott, and Lynn are... [...]
Voters will decide this spring whether to exclude $1.6 million in debt payments from the annual budget, allowing the town to raise more money in taxes. Selectmen voted 4 to 1 last month to place the debt exclusion override on... [...]
Town officials in Milton may be feeling a little like Goldilocks as they go through the process of deciding whether to ask voters for a tax increase this spring: Is $1.5 million too little? Is $3.5 million too much? Is... [...]
By Christine Legere, Globe correspondent When Hingham voters passed a $34.4 million debt exclusion last spring to increase property taxes, they knew that was only the first step in upgrading school facilities for a growing student population. Taking the next... [...]
Taxes seem to rise inexorably, but in Duxbury local officials are contemplating a cut in the property tax that helps fund community preservation. A proposal to reduce the town's current 3 percent surcharge to 0.25 percent will be brought before... [...]
By Constance Lindner, Globe correspondent From a comfortable leather chair upstairs, visitors pause from reading and look out at dinghies bobbing on the bay. Downstairs, a man asks for resume-writing material, while another patron checks his e-mail, and children gather... [...]
Walpole residents are likely to get a second chance this spring to replace their century-old public library. The proposal, which would boost property taxes for 20 years, was rejected at the general election last month. In these tough economic times,... [...]
Communities statewide are already grappling with dire predictions of drastic drops in state aid for the upcoming fiscal year as state revenues shrivel. But cities and towns are experiencing a double whammy, as local revenues also suffer under the impact... [...]
Wellesley voters Tuesday overwhelmingly approved an $86.6 million debt exclusion to fund a $130 million new high school, the largest capital project in the town's history. The tally was 5,026 to 2,869, according to unofficial returns available from the town... [...]
On the eve of a townwide vote on an $86.6 million property-tax increase to fund a new high school in Wellesley, the issue of whether the new structure would be safe in an earthquake has taken center stage. Opponents of... [...]
In a Nov. 25 special election, Rockport residents decided against a debt exclusion to finance the purchase of the Granite Savings Bank building on Broadway. The vote was 790-330 against funding the $894,400 purchase, which had been approved earlier this... [...]
ItÂ’s just five months into the current fiscal year, but selectmen in Rockland could determine as early as Dec. 15 that a tax increase is inevitable for next year. Rockland, where state aid covers about one-third of the townÂ’s yearly... [...]
Hull selectmen listened to the town manager and school superintendentÂ’s dire warnings of budget crises ahead and voted to ask the town to override Proposition 2.5's tax limits next spring. Town Manager Philip Lemnios said that without an override, the... [...]
Voters in five municipalities rejected tax increases Tuesday night. But one town, Needham, bucked the trend. Needham voters approved $1.9 million to operate the High Rock School, scheduled to open this fall for sixth grade students. With 99 percent of... [...]
Voters in at least seven municipalities will go to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to raise their property taxes under the Prop 2 1/2 override procedure. They are Needham, Newburyport, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Mattapoisett, Walpole and Shirley. In Newburyport,... [...]
As municipal budgets tighten and the economy gets worse, towns and cities throughout the region still must decide what to do about overcrowded schools, deteriorating town halls, and attracting and keeping qualified teachers, fire fighters, and police officers. And, while... [...]
Towns, cities and state agencies are facing cutbacks. The stock market is fluctuating dramatically. Voters are uncertain. What will that do to the prospects for an income tax cut on the November ballot? Carla Howell, the chief proponent of the... [...]
State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill's recent plea to the US Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston drew the attention of the New York Times editorial board this week. The Globe reported that Cahill wants the feds to lend... [...]
If voters abolish the state income tax next month, the state would be forced to slash most agency budgets by more than 70 percent, according to a report by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. According to the report, the large cuts... [...]
A $3.59 million Proposition 2 ½ override tax increase request on the Nov. 4 ballot may be one increase too many for Brockton residents. “They’ll manage without it. They have before,” said Nancy Raymond as she loaded groceries into her... [...]
In a town where public-safety workers, teachers, and other municipal employees have unions looking out for their interests, a new group is claiming the mantle of the average taxpayer. Bob Parkis, who believes townspeople don't have enough say in... [...]
The town of Franklin, whose voters rejected a property tax override in June, is now looking at a multi million dollar high school construction project. But local officials are treading carefully as they consider options to deal with the aging... [...]
Taxes usually go only one way -- up. But in Acton, a group has forced a Special Town Meeting next month to try to get some of the town's cash reserves returned to taxpayers. Acton Voters Group president Clint Seward... [...]
The police in Shirley are warning that officers will be cut if voters reject a proposed Prop. 2 1/2 override on Sept. 9. If the nearly $740,000 override fails, the department will be forced to cut three of its 10... [...]
In four south-of-Boston communities, voters in the November election will cast ballots not only for president, but on whether to increase local property taxes through Proposition 2 1/2 overrides. Brockton and East Bridgewater will vote on permanent tax increases, while... [...]
Schools throughout greater Boston are raising fees for sports and other activities. While it's not a property tax increase, the school fees are yet another way local governments are reaching into the pockets of parents to raise money. North of... [...]
Belmont school officials are frustrated with the state's new school building approval process, which they say has been slow and costly to the town. The town had hoped the Massachusetts School Building Authority would have approved funding assistance for a... [...]
When Wellesley officials go before the Massachusetts School Building Authority on Friday, they will arrive with some assurance of securing approval to proceed with the now-$110 million project to build a new high school. But because of the town's agreement... [...]
Has 17 years made a difference in the way Brockton property owners view tax increases? City officials will get the answer when voters in November cast ballots on three override proposals totaling $3.59 million. The Brockton City Council on Monday... [...]
As towns struggle with budget cuts and voters' rejection of property tax increases, teacher cuts and downsizing stretch across the suburbs west of Boston. In all, a Globe West survey found 11 districts that made cuts totaling about 175 staff... [...]
Although Needham officials say they are committed to building a new senior center, how the town proceeds with the project could largely depend on another big-ticket item: fixing the air quality problems at the Newman School. Earlier this year, the... [...]
About 15 town employees in Freetown, including five teachers and two patrolmen, are looking for new jobs after the resounding defeat of a Proposition 2 1/2 override this week. Voters rejected all eight ballot questions - set out "menu" style... [...]
It's been 30 years since California passed Proposition 13 to cap property tax assessments, sparking a nationwide trend. A local think tank has taken a look at what's happened since, and concludes that Prop 13-style laws aren't a good idea.... [...]
The recent rejection of a Dedham senior center brings to mind our coverage last year of the new centers popping up in the western suburbs. Last year, Megan Woolhouse reported that: "Communities across Boston's western suburbs are building new senior... [...]
Last weekend's solid vote in Dedham against funding an $8.65 million senior center sent a resounding message to officials that they have to revise the plan and try again - at their own risk. "It's clear that a need has... [...]
Rather than scrap a new teachers contract that took 18 months to hammer out, Weymouth school officials have a different strategy for addressing the budget crisis: Ask voters to approve Proposition 2 1/2 tax increases for the first time. The... [...]
In the suburbs west of Boston, voters in 13 communities approved property-tax increases this spring, while those in nine other communities said no to requests to override Proposition 2 1/2. A Globe review of election results in the 22... [...]
East Bridgewater voters will consider a $1.25 million permanent tax increase, or override, when they cast their ballots during this NovemberÂ’s Presidential Election. If it passes, a Capital Stabilization Fund would be established and used to cover the cost of... [...]
After 20 years of discussions, and at least four potential locations, Dedham residents soundly rejected a proposal Saturday to fund an $8.65 million senior center. It's the first failed debt exclusion override in at least 12 years, said Town Clerk... [...]
After two decades of discussions, and at least four potential locations, a vote Saturday determines if residents here want to raise property taxes for a new $8.65 million senior center, or continue serving the elderly in three rented rooms... [...]
In Ipswich, voters approved a property tax increase to provide more money for the schools by a solid margin. In Beverly, a similar request drew a decisive thumbs down from residents. In towns and cities north of Boston, proposed property... [...]
A sharp increase in property taxes along with public employee layoffs and reduced services appear to be coming in Quincy. The City Council on Monday night approved a $3 million cut in Mayor Thomas P. Koch's original $233.9 million spending... [...]
The rural town of Pepperell on the edge of the New Hampshire border has never had a Proposition 2 1/2 override vote since the state law limiting property tax increases went into effect in 1982. But with the town facing... [...]
The message from Bridgewater taxpayers could not have been more clear: The answer is no. For the third time in a year, voters last Saturday rejected a tax increase as a way out of their town's financial woes. "I think... [...]
The Swampscott Board of Selectmen has decided not to schedule a special election on two proposed capital exclusions. The annual Town Meeting in May appropriated $300,000 for a new fire truck and $150,000 for road improvements, subject to passage of... [...]
As expected, both debt exclusions for school projects sailed through in a special election held Tuesday in Marblehead. Residents voted 2,464-1,213 for the $21.8 million exclusion to refurbish the Village School. The count was 2,365-1,311 for $395,000 to study options... [...]
Plainville voters Monday night approved a $650,000 Proposition 2 1/2 override, 724 to 714. The override will add about $209 to the average single-family home property tax bill.... [...]
Marblehead voters today will decide whether the town should temporarily raise taxes for two school building projects. At a special election, residents will consider debt exclusions for $21.8 million to overhaul the Village School, and $395,000 to study options for... [...]
Bridgewater has a dismal record on overrides - three defeats in the last five years - but town officials hope the outcome of the ballot vote on a $1.36 million proposal this Saturday will be different. The tax increase would... [...]
As town by town fights over Prop 2 1/2 continue in Massachusetts, some states are cutting taxes or resorting to strategies that cut some taxes but raise others, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to this story, New York Gov.... [...]
Overrides were defeated in Winthrop and Franklin Tuesday night, while three tax hikes passed in Holbrook. In Winthrop, a special election on a $1.55 million override went down by a 3,027-1,594 vote. The funds would have been used for schools,... [...]
Voters in three towns go to the polls today to consider property tax increases to pay for schools and other city services. Franklin, Winthrop and Holbrook all have Prop 2 1/2 override questions before voters, in a season of mixed... [...]
The margin of support for a $1,288,322 Proposition 2 ½ override for the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District shifted in the Friday recount from the May 15 election in Hamilton, but not enough to change the result. The override still... [...]
Toni-Ann Cherico says passage of a $1.55 million override in Winthrop on Tuesday is needed to maintain town services at their existing levels. "We just want to keep Winthrop the way it is," said Cherico, a spokeswoman for a committee... [...]
Not much doubt in Beverly. Residents Tuesday overwhelmingly voted down the city's first-ever Proposition 2 1/2 override initiative. The $2.5 million override, which was proposed to bail out the city's school district, was defeated by a vote of 6,686 to... [...]
When Elisabeth Allison came up with the idea for a name-the-pothole contest in Belmont, the hardest part was choosing only four of the town's most notorious bumps. In fact, there are so many deteriorating roads in town, most residents -... [...]
As Franklin's second Proposition 2 1/2 override vote in as many years approaches, town officials are warning residents about the possibility of teacher layoffs, among other proposed school-related cuts, if they turn down the requested property-tax increase. A special election... [...]
The town of Hamilton will recount the votes of the May 15 election in favor of a $1,288,322 Proposition 2 ½ override for the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District. The override passed by 37 votes. The vote for Hamilton's share... [...]
Newton's rejection Tuesday of a $12-million property tax override is the latest of more than a dozen votes this spring on proposed property tax increases. Towns and cities are complaining of fast rising costs, but their record of persuading voters... [...]
Buoyed by a parent-led campaign that led to a voter turnout of 5,140, the $1,491,000 Proposition 2 ½ override for the Ipswich schools passed by 563 votes at Tuesday's town election, 2,831-2,268. This is the second year the town has... [...]
Voters in Ashland turned down a $496,000 Proposition 2 1/2 override Tuesday by a 49-vote margin. Residents cast 2,171 votes against the override and 2,122 in favor of it. The funds were intended to keep libraries open in the Mindess,... [...]
Less than a week after Rowley voters approved a temporary tax increase to purchase a new fire truck, a $450,000 appropriation for the vehicle sailed through the Annual Town Meeting Monday night. The authorization, approved by a 112-14 vote, was... [...]
Voters will weigh in on a $2.8 million Proposition 2 ½ property tax override June 10 that would add an additional $244 to the tax bill of the average household valued at $411,000, according to Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting. The... [...]
Voters in Canton have approved a $4.5 million tax override, the town's second override in the 28 years the stateÂ’s Proposition 2 1/2 tax-limiting law has been in place. "I think it certainly reflects the strength of the Canton community.... [...]
Voters in Hamilton and Wenham supported a total of four Proposition 2 ½ overrides at elections held Thursday. Included in that was a "yes" vote for a Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District Proposition 2 ½ operating override totaling $1,889,589, to... [...]
Plainville’s elementary schools could lose two teachers and two support staff members and could see cuts in the schools’ custodial services if voters do not approve a $650,000 Proposition 2 and ½ override next month, Superintendent David Raiche warned recently.... [...]
In Rowley, a Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion to buy a $450,000 pumper truck for the fire department still needs to pass by a 2/3 margin at the Monday, May 19, Town Meeting after resounding approval at the ballot... [...]
Voters at Georgetown’s annual town election Monday, May 12, delivered a mixed verdict on six proposed tax increases, approving a $91,000 override but rejecting five capital exclusions. The override, adopted by a vote of 816 to 485, is to fund... [...]
No, no, no. Seriously. No. That's the word in Shrewsbury, where voters have rejected a fourth override since 2004. On the north shore, Marblehead and several other towns fought it out over property taxes. And in Newton, voices emerge on... [...]
For years, mobile homes in Massachusetts have been exempt from property taxes - one reason they have functioned as low-cost housing. But Chelmsford officials have begun imposing property taxes on mobile homes. If the measure is tested in court, a... [...]
Medfield voters will decide on June 2 whether to pass an $850,000 Proposition 2 ½ override. Officials have said that the override amount would add approximately $215 to the property tax bill for the average single-family home in the town.... [...]
