The Westford Library Expansion Project
Other Towns Are Watching Us!
The planned renovation and expansion of the J.V. Fletcher Library in our town has caught the attention of at least one other town in Massachusetts. Others may be looking to learn from Westford's experience.
It's an interesting read; draw your own conclusions. There’s a link at the bottom of this essay that will lead you to a fact-based publication about how other towns in Massachusetts are dealing with similar tax-hiking situations.
As you sort through the fact-based data, consider the reality of our voter-approved $22+ million "debt exclusion," designed to fund the bulk of the library expansion project. In simple terms, the library debt exclusion means another property tax increase starting in FY27. This could amount to roughly $159.00 for a home valued at $660,500.00. How much is your home assessed for?
In case you're unaware, Westford's voters have approved several debt exclusions in the past, resulting in property tax increases that are currently reflected in your tax bill. Some of these projects include:
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Senior Center: $3.9 million
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Highway Garage: $3.5 million
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Miller, Crisafulli & Stony Brook School: $2.75 million
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Boston Road Fire Station: $3.2 million
A critical question arises: As these debt exclusions are paid off, will our property tax bills decrease? The simple answer is – no, not likely.
Historically, it seems that property tax bills have not experienced any decline. This could be due to the town's leadership continually identifying new projects requiring funding, which may or may not be essential for the community. Add to this, the 2.5% cost of living tax increase that the Proposition 2 ½ law provides all towns as a hedge against inflation. As a result, the cycle of approving new debt exclusions and the yearly 2.5% Prop 2/12 tax increases, almost guarantees that our property taxes will never decline. Think about that! Never ending property tax increases.
Debt exclusions are, in part, promoted to voters as “temporary property tax increases” and technically that’s correct. However, the term “temporary” actually refers to the timeframe of the loan which is likely to be 20-30 years. So, for seniors and those of us that have reached the age of 60+, in reality, it’s a “permanent tax hike.”
On top of this, our town's leadership is likely to request another Proposition 2½ Override to support the FY27 budget. Now might be a good time to start thinking about how you feel about another substantial property tax increase.
When you’re asked to vote on new property tax increases, the word “temporary” should be questioned. Temporary property tax increases are simply a selling point, a spin on reality – which is, our property taxes will likely never decline.
Please keep this in mind when you’re next asked to approve projects that will increase our property taxes.
The link below will take you to a well-crafted, fact-based expose’ written by a journalist from The Amherst Independent (The Indy); an all-volunteer community journalism project committed to providing independent, fact-based reporting on Amherst, MA government and civic life. The Indy embraces a mission of being a critical, progressive, and independent news source.
The citizens of Amherst, MA are grappling with a similar library expansion project funded largely by a “debt exclusion” that will dramatically impact their property taxes. The similarity to the J.V. Fletcher Library expansion project can be informative.
Click on this LINK to read the article published by The Amherst Independent (The Indy).
Thank you for your support.
Westford Common Ground