The Board of Alderman and the city of Somerville will conduct its second and final public hearing on the TRANSFER TAX. The Administration of Mayor Joseph Curtatone has refused to send out written notification of these hearings to all property owners, including those who live outside the city. This tax will also be levied against commercial property. The small Somerville business people and store owners who provide services to our community have not been notified by the administration. Even with pressure from some Alderman in both cases the Mayor’s administration has chosen not to notify the property owners.
The notices delivered by a small group of concerned residents alerting the public to the first public meeting drew hundreds of responses by residents in opposition to the home rule petition. We submitted over four hundred signatures to the City Clerk in opposition.
Because of your letters, emails, phone calls, and attendance at the April 4, 2018 public hearing, the Alderman made many changes to the original Transfer Tax petition.
Our elected officials are trying to address their past mistakes of allowing developers to overrun the City, by now placing the financial burden on fixing it on the property owners of the city. It is time for the city to be more fiscally responsible instead of imposing another TAX on top of the CPA TAX, EXCISE TAX, WATER METER FEES, EXCESSIVELLY HIGH WATER BILLS, REVALUATION INCREASES, ASSEMBLY SQUARE BONDS, HIGH SCHOOL BONDS, MBTA BOND, UNION SQUARE BONDS.
WE ARE SOMERVILLE and our voices need to be heard! Attend the final public hearing before it gets voted on by the Board of Alderman and is sent to the State House for approval.
MONDAY MAY 7 TH at CITY HALL @ 6:00 P.M. in the Aldermanic chambers second floor.
If members of the government just arbitrarily deciding to dip into your wallet is no big deal, what is? I’m happy you are in a place to think that way. 5 grand plus to me is a big deal. I can think of a lot of things i’d prefer to do with that money than give it away to the city just because they can. does the city give a 1% tax break if you invest poorly? Nope.
Scott you are 100% correct. Unfortunately I am working tonight and cannot take time off to speak against this backdoor bag job.
This isn’t a burden on anyone.. If I sell my house some day it’ll be 1% off the price. Big deal. I’m sitting on a massive windfall. In fact I probably won’t even pay it because it looks like they’re going to waive the fee for long-time owner-occupied units. In the meantime, it doesn’t cost me a cent and it helps build more housing for people who can’t afford to buy my house to live in this city.
Scooby, Glad to see your so generous with MY MONEY. If you want to give do so from your own pocket and not mine! Wealth redistribution is Socialism!
I guess you must like being lied to and misguided. Do you really think if this HRP passes that they won’t change the terms in the future? WE ARE BEING TAXED ENOUGH! I wonder if you’ll change your tune when all these bonds come due. The spending is out of control and needs to be stopped now.
That is a definitly the course of action for this. Once the tax foot is in the door you will only see it go up and up and it’s usage expanded as an excuse to go back to the well for more money out of our pockets.
That’s right Peter, it’s a shoe in for never ending tax increases in the future. Funny how these special interest groups are in support of this tax but turn a blind eye to the conflict of interest and lack of transparency within the SCC. No audit in 10 years and they just recently threw something up on their website thinking people are stupid enough to just take that for a substitute of an audit. We are already going paying for funding for affordable housing but we don’t know where the funds are going. Follow the money…
Scooby,
Unfortunately, I am sorry to inform you that you may pay nothing but the tax will cost you indirectly. Every study on transfer taxes show that sale prices decrease by the same amount of the tax. So if someone buys your place, they will factor in the 2% (buyers and sellers) transfer tax.
The board knows this, but never talks about it.
Also, since you are a long time resident, your real estate taxes have gone up substantially. Mine are up 50% in 5 years and I have not done anything to add value. I have received no better service from the city. Where has the $40M in addiotnal tax revenues gone?
The City has three proposals that have been being discussed for a long time. In a city comprised of a huge number of rental properties, an equal number if not a majority of owners of rental property do not live in Somerville. The City irresponsibly is pushing initiatives forward while the taxpayers being most affected are not informed. The City does not seem to care. The Mayor declined the BOA’s request to do a robocall. That speaks volumes as to intent. This is not meant to be inclusive. Just as the Board had already decided to support the transfer tax, before public input. Now that developers are freely handed the keys to the city, the pretense that these proposals are meant to target developers is ironic. As a small property owner, the transfer tax and downzoning from RB to NR will have major impact on me. The city has been requested by many to direct mail property owners. Leaving property owners in the dark on these issues is inexcusable. Supporting a new tax before having input from the public is indensible. A tax bill and water bill recently was mailed out. The excuse of cost or lack of funds to mail do not cut it. If intentions were good, notice about all these proposals easily could have been mailed with either of these recent mailings. A robocall costs zip. The City is out of control and putting more and more financial burdens on small property owners which will be passed onto renters in the form of higher rents. Stop coddling developers – how many affordable units did the city make them build into their projects???? Saying one thing and doing another behind closed doors.
Karen, You are totally correct on this smoke and mirrors show! This process has been about transparent as Duct tape over the eyes. Socialism at it’s finest! Those who agree with the Tax should donate, just not from my pocket!