In many of the state’s poorer and economically challenged communities, override votes are a nonstarter for residents. That in turn has forced officials in those communities to either cut costs or get creative when faced with budget shortfalls. A common strategy has seen communities maximize their levy capacity with business owners.
For example, the city of Everett, which has never held an override vote and for years has boasted the highest commercial property-tax rate in the state, extracts around $43 in taxes for every $1,000 in assessed property value owned by businesses. That's nearly triple the city’s residential rate.
Meanwhile, the strains on Everett’s budget have steadily worsened, largely due to the rapid expansion in its public-school enrollment numbers.
This year, the state already has seen at least 15 override votes, seven of which passed. Wellesley’s $3.35 million general fund approval was the year’s biggest so far. The commonwealth saw 55 votes, of which 35 passed, last year.
posted by Jeff Bennett
Communities who have businesses to help with the tax rate have it so much easier than our Town of Templeton. Up until 1999, our Town had Temple Stuart, a large furniture manufacturer doing business in our town. When that closed, we were left with a large hole in our revenue base. On top of that, Erving Paper Mill/Baldwinville Products was creating problems for the Town. When they leventually left, they had run up a large legal bill when they left the Town holding the bag for the waste water treatment plant that the Town and the papermill were supposed to share. This was the biggest venture the Town had ever taken on, and the Town did not make out real well. When the Town lost these two businesses, nothing would come in to replace them. This means every dollar the "town and the schools" spend is on the backs of the taxpayer.
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