March 08, 2007

Payraises

I often hear the current City Administration refer to the City as being a business, just like any other business and I agree. As someone who runs a business, I have a pretty good idea every day whether we are making money, losing money or just paying the bills. What troubles me most about the recent spat of pay raises was the timing.

Although I truly believe the City Councilors may not have realized the extent of the projected losses (21 million), there was not way it was a complete shock to everyone. In retrospect the five year financial plan last year and the warning from Mr Delsignore about a month or two ago was a warning shot prepping the tax-payers for this 21,000,000 shortfall.

Kudos to the City Councilors, if they do give back their payraise. Now lets hope they start asking tough questions like a real Board of Directors at a private company on the progress of:
  • City Square
  • South Worcester Industrial Park
  • University Partnership
  • Status of the negotiations with MassPort.
  • why a lease at 15 Coppage Drive was renewed last year for 20 more years at 12 per year when there were clear violations in current lease.
  • Maybe we should look into a tax relief month whereby people can pay any back taxes during a said month and the City will waive any outstanding penalties and interest.

Next time you are in Westboro drive by the old Bay State Abrasives site. Similar project to City Square and you will not believe the progress.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bill brings up a good point about Bay State Abrasives in Westboro...


Harry Tembenis
Worcester, MA.

ThrM said...

I'm headed out to Westboro this afternoon. Am I supposed to notice just the progress or anything else in particular? Serious question.

Anonymous said...

Sould S Worc Indus Park be re-named South Worc Residential Park?

Seems to me there's more residential building than commercial or industrial?

1.Fremont St Lofts

2 Universty Lofts?

3 Old HH Brown Shoe Apts.

4 Lots of new/rehabbed housing

5 Clark Univ Gym

6 Boys Club

and others....I cannot recall the names.

Callign this an industrial park is like calling Worcester a Green City. We not only have no Green in our bank accounts, but we're overdrawn $21M (per T&G). Howe much ya wanna bet the $21M is just an opening bid?

Imagine the overdraft fees at $29 a pop!


Last I read, City Sq demo begins in March. Wonder if they have even paid for the permit yet, and if so if they even started Asbestos removal? The $10,000 demo permit fee will keep ORH open for 2 days

Bill Randell said...

Tom:
Just check out the progess-truly unreal.



Doughboy:
You are right about the residential projects, but those were mostly private or by agencies like the Boys Club/Clark/Main South CDC. South Worcester Industrial is solely a public project.


PS University Lofts to date has maybe 2 units sold.

Bill Randell said...

Great story this month in WBJ on condos in the city.

Anonymous said...

Bill, solely a public project? Consider it doomed and/or delayed . Will be done when Hades freezes over.

Anonymous said...

Why has the city reduced the assessment on the soon to be demo'ed Worc Common Outlets & parking garage?

Assessed tax:

05 164,000

06 40,000

07 54,000

Why has the assessed value and property taxes been reduced on this parcel from 2005 to 2007, when everything else in the City was increasing in value exponentially?

The property has not changed one iota since Worc Rennaisance LLC (Berkley) bought it. They paid $30M in June, 2004 for the mall, office towers, garage, and the land they sit on. Yet the Mall and parking garage structures are now assessed at only $600,000?

Nice deal if you can get it, huh? Any one here get a decrease in their residential or commercial taxes from 2005 to 2007?

And who actually applied for and rec'd the reduced assessment, Berkley or previous owners? If Berkley when was application for abatement actually filed? E.g. Did Berkley get an abatement for year ended June 2006 when they didnt even buy the place until June 24, 2004. Abatement deadline for year ended June, 2006 is February 1, 2004.

Did someone get a reduced assessment after the abatement filing deadline had past OR did City waive any past, overdue taxes that the previous owners owed?

If I have property that is supposed to be demo'ed why would I want get a decease in assessment if it's to be demolished soon, unless i know it may not be demo'ed till some time further in the future and I want to reduce my taxes in the interim

Wouldnt you be in more of a rush to demo that property if you were paying taxes on the full, fair value of the structures? Yes. Heck they should have had the demo done before January 1, 2007 b/c thats the date for determination of taxes for the city year beginning July 1, 2008. But If I can get the assessed value reduced by 2/3 (from 164K to 54K while prices everywhere else are escalating) then I am not in such a big rush to demo the structures, b/c its costing me less in holding costs

Here's one place the City can get 100K more in tax revenue annually and not cost the pols a vote.

Hell, Berkley is just an out of towner like all the people who come here and buy lodging & meals on whom we'll probably be raising taxes again soon.

Anonymous said...

AUCTION HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO MARCH 23, 2007 AT 2PM.

Mortgagee's Sale of Real Estate at Public Auction

WORCESTER
Leasehold Interest
12 Acres-86,000sf Bldg

15 Coppage Dr, Worcester, MA

Friday, March 23, 2007 at 2PM

Bill Randell said...

Lets hope between now and March 23rd, the City looks into this and decides whether or not they can terminate the lease due to the non-payment of real estate taxes, amongst other issues.