Two great stories from Diane, Sutner and Nick, must reads both of them, and my buddy Robert Z Nemeth has been pretty good read too. This actually must be one of the better Sunday TelegramsI have read in a long time.
Especially think Nick K has been on a roll, with Sutner a close second (he is getting much better with his investigations). Really you need to read this by Nick and the other by Sutner. What particularly bothers me is this line from Councilor Clancy, "I’ve listened to the Chamber of Commerce’s Chicken Little stories for 21 years and it’s been nothing but the same old, same old.”
Councilor Clancy, the commercial - industrial tax base is now at 18%. I can only guess where it was 21 years ago? I would bet you that it was more in the 30 to 40% range. In this case, the chicken is right and the sky is falling on our commercial - industrial tax base, which will ultimately drive the residential taxes through the proverbial roof.
Ironically, these are the same city councilors who will start their campaigns soon and talk about how we need to be "business friendly." In Shrewsbury, for instance, the tax rate for commercial properties was $9.14; in Grafton, $10.05; in Holden, $12.62; and in Northboro, $13.28; while Worcester will be at $28.72. If you were to start a business, where would you build?
Kudos to Councilor Rushton. Although he will get attacked by the other councilors pandering for votes, he is 100% right and is showing true leadership on this issue.
Same Time Next Year
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It’s been nearly a year since I wrote about the problems that come from
having 11 bosses who are not on the same page about anything, as well as
suggestion...
4 months ago
2 comments:
It's a double whammy..........comm. tax base falling precipitously........all the while densely built low income housing is sapping other community resources......esp the schools
What do you think it does to teh city finanaces when an old factory building is converted to apts which apts send ooodles of kids into the school system
a. wipes out the old factory as a comm tax base
b. sends kids at 11,800 per yr into the school system
The wisest fiancial move would be for city to buy up these old factories and raze them and just grass over the vacant lots.........or make em into a community pot garden now that the stuff has been de-criminalized and secure the gardens unemployed greyhounds as watchdogs
Obviously it's what type of business one wants to start. But there are many factors and taxes wouldn't be on the top of my list.
If I were to start a business, I would do it as near as possible to a potential worker base.
Taxes? Factor them into the selling price.
And don't forget the tax breaks businesses get for locating to a city/town.
In the case of Worcester, it should expand the tax base to include non-profits - PILOT.
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