Jeromie Whalen realized that the old guard of Democratic leaders were not up to the task of securing our future. He knew that politics as usual was not enough in the face of the right-wing threat that faced all of them.
In his open letter to Finance Committee Chair Michael Wise, Chip Elitzer writes: "Beyond the likely consequence of degrading our town's tax base, the enactment of your [residential exemption] proposal would – in my opinion – degrade the civic spirit of our town by unwittingly emphasizing class distinctions among neighbors and fostering class resentment."
The Town Meeting narrative: Dark doom filled the auditorium like the sky in Harry Potter. I checked my warrant and understood why: we were now entertaining the Finance Committee’s proposed bylaw to receive “regular and special reports and statements” about town and school district finances. The proposed bylaw was the by-product of a Mexican standoff between committee chair Sharon Gregory and the school district over her requests for detailed reports.
Bill seems to be the only candidate to be strongly in support of Michael Wise’s residential exemption tax plan.
Any plan that reduces my taxes will be a real help to me and my family.
Bill represents the interests of young working families in town. He’s willing to discuss the issues with anyone.
Dave Long of Housatonic, an outspoken critic of last year's Monument Mountain Regional High School renovation plan, and now an advocate for a systemic change to address the district’s financial and infrastructure issues, “implored everyone” to vote for the school budget. “If we start ripping apart the fabric of the schools, I think it could be disastrous,” he advised.
In his letter to the editor, Michael Wise writes: “Based on my five years of close involvement in the details of this town’s government, and 40 years of direct involvement in other government and private sector organizations, it’s my judgment that we are unlikely to come up with efficiencies or consolidations that could significantly reduce the town’s budget without making significant cuts in the quality and quantity of public services.”
In her letter to the editor, Dana Dapolito writes: "In a nutshell, this plan shifts the tax burden from lower-priced residential properties to more expensive homes, commercial properties and second-home owners through the use of a “Residential Exemption.” I think this plan is shortsighted and not suited to a small rural town such as Great Barrington."
Contrary to what critics claim, the town’s budget over the last 7 years has only risen at the national inflation rate: about 2 percent. Even more surprising: in real terms -- controlling for inflation -- operating expenses have remained “essentially flat,” according to Finance Committee member Michael Wise.
A residential exemption would cut most property tax bills in town which includes the charge from the school district. Homeowners with homes assessed below around $470,000 would see a progressively lower tax rate, and three-quarters of residences in town fall below that “break-even value.
Affordability is the challenge. In relation to income, property taxes in Great Barrington are also higher than elsewhere in Berkshire County. Incomes in Great Barrington appear to be in the mid-range among its Berkshire County peers and neighbors, about equal to the state average and above the Berkshire County average.
Eighty percent of Great Barrington home owners would see their property taxes decrease. For the median home, valued at $294,400, the residential exemption would cut the tax bill 11 percent. Benefits would be concentrated in Housatonic village and Risingdale, where most tax bills would drop at least 20 percent.
It is important “to tell everyone, including the taxpayers, that we have a liability, so they are aware of what the cost of doing business is."
-- Town Accountant/Financial Coordinator Lauren M. Sartori
“There is no room for error when you’re dealing with a public water supply. There was insufficient regulation around public drinking water in Great Barrington until this zoning code was put in."
-- Richard Dohoney, attorney for Building Inspector Edwin May
The original bylaw [defining the responsibilities of the Finance Committee] in the town charter, and adopted in 1974, assigns a budget advisory role to the committee. The new bylaw asks for more from the town and extends the role to the [regional] school district.
“If you’re looking for public documents that are available, we’ll comply with that in a heartbeat. But some of the information you’re looking for takes 6 to 8 hours of research."
-- Berkshire Hills School Committee Chair Stephen Bannon, responding to Sharon Gregory's demand for a different format of detailed school district financial reports
The auditor recommended an increase in the stabilization fund, which, she said was “a little low,” and creating an OPEB (Other Post Employment Benefits) trust account to have money put aside for future pension liabilities.
