4/21/2010
It's coming. Check out this article:
On Monday, the Mass. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee will be voting on an amemdment to increase proposition 2 1/2 (Municipal Relief Bill H-4618) which will increase our property taxes up to a possible 7.5%. This will effect our fall tax bill!
As it stands now, if communities want to increase property taxes more than
2 1/2% they must ask their voters to approved an override. This amendment would allow them to increase property taxes without asking local voters' approval.
From Citizens for Limited Taxation: For details go to http://cltg.org/
"Prop 2½ presently allows communities to raise property taxes only 2½ percent a year over the previous year’s levy, plus a factor for “new growth”. There are no exclusions for public safety, debt, or any other expenditure, though over the years some legislators have tried. If communities want to increase property taxes, they must ask their voters to approve an override.
This proposed W&M change in Prop 2½ would allow all communities to increase the presently allowed levy by the amount in the community’s Overlay (abatement) account, i.e., the money supposedly set aside to pay taxpayers who appeal their property tax assessment to local assessors, though if not used for abatements it can be spent on anything at all. There would be no requirement to ask local voters’ approval of this property tax increase ."
The Congress has to find a way to stop spending our money. So many people have lost their jobs, have had to take lesser jobs, or can't retire. We are all trying to find ways to cut back and be conservative in our spending - everyone that is, except for our representatives in government.
If you are opposed to this change, please call your representatives and also Rep. Charlie Murphy's office 617 722-2990 and tell them you are opposed to this change to Prop 2 1/2.
An Act Relative to Municipal Relief
H-4618
http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht04pdf/ht04618.pdf
[Excerpt]
SECTION 8. Said chapter 59 is hereby further amended by striking out section 25, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 25. The assessors of each city, town and district shall annually raise by taxation such reasonable amount of overlay as the commissioner may approve. The overlay account shall be used only for avoiding fractional divisions of the amount to be assessed and to fund abatements granted on account of taxes assessed for any fiscal year. The amount of such overlay approved by the commissioner shall not be included in calculating the "total taxes assessed" in paragraph (a) of section 21C or the maximum levy limit in paragraph (f) of said section 21C.
Go to NAGOP.com and get all the info you need about your representative - phone number, email address, etc - and tell your elected officials to start being responsible with our money, NOT asking for more of it with which to be frivilous!