Even though I consider it a goofy, boring waste of time, it has been difficult for me to understand why the federal government has been in such a lather about TikTok.
There is a town getting shorted in this deal ... All of those tax dollars flow into the Stockbridge coffers, but it is Lenox that provides all of the services a resident or business would expect from the local government.
In anticipation that there could be more such establishments approaching the town in the future, the selectboard is trying to come up with a template that will serve as a model for all host agreements that might come up.
"Eighty-three percent of all parcels in Great Barrington would benefit or be neutral [under the residential exemption]. If you include second homes, that changes to 74 percent.”
--- Finance Committee Chairman Michael Wise
Town Manager Jennifer Tabakin will hold a “informational workshop” at Town Hall next Monday (July 27) at 4 p.m. to explain the basics of property taxes and Massachusetts General Law
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.
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.
