Dear Billy T and Somerville Speakup Line,

Our BOA is supposed to do the people’s business. Instead they walk all over us, providing little notice, virtually no transparency, and push their personal agendas. Just like they were ‘shocked’ people did not get behind the transfer tax – demonstrates precisely how OUT OF TOUCH they are.

Then they unanimously support it anyway. There are enough of us old timers who still live in this city and we will be sure to run candidates that do the peoples business or at least show a modicom of respect to the people who invested in Somerville before it was ‘trendy’ and are now being given the shaft. Not ALL owner occupants ARE exempt from the transfer tax, and 3rd units in RB to become NR will not be allowed.

The restrictions are onerous and prohibit everything that would create additional housing space. Where are the housing advocates??!!! The city is eliminating a couple thousand or more units that could be built – I guess housing advocates don’t see the need in this ‘housing crisis’.

Are you all paid so well by the Mayor that you support his agenda regardless of what it does to the renters in this city?

A great deal of housing could be created if the City were to promote building a unit onto single and 2 families in RB zone now – enough units that it would ease the housing crisis and perhaps prevent the continuing escalation of rental rates. The city definitely is running the Mayor’s agenda meant to make the mayor look great and screw everybody else, specifically property owners and renters.

Josh