By Bob Katzen

The Revenue Committee held a hearing on a measure that would allow cities and towns to abolish the local property tax and replace it with both a personal and business income tax to fund the local city or town’s budget.

The bill was filed by Rep. James Arciero (D-Westford) at the request of a constituent, under the state law that allows citizens to requerst their local legislator file a bill on the constituent’s behalf. These bills are known as “by request” bills and do not necessarily have the support of the legislator who filed it for the constiuent.

“This bill was filed at the request of Mr. Peter Barbella of Littleton who is interested in ways to decrease the real estate tax burden on seniors who typically are on a fixed income,” said Arciero. “He feels this would help seniors, who in many cases have already paid taxes for many years to their local town government, to stay in their long-term residence instead of being forced out by rising real estate tax rates. This bill would essentially allow a municipality to change from a revenue stream based on real estate taxation by replacing it with both a personal and business income tax to support a local town’s budget.”