Town of Braintree

I certainly hope more than a few residential tax payers attend the tax calssification meeting at the Town Hall Monday night Nov. 22.

I (resident) was there last year, but only a couple of us were there. Of course the Chamber of Commerce and other business people came to pressure the Board of Selectmen to let them skate again, while we residents pick up more tax burden.

Please get there and support the residents champions. Last year Vincent Joyce and Dan Clifford spoke for the residents. Hopefully more will join this year. The current Board of Assessor's, who recommend the tax rate, are strong supporters of the business and commercial property community. Residents need to attend the meeting in larger numbers to get the attention of the Selectmen, who in the end will set the tax rate, but are largely influenced by the BOA's recommendation.
For 3 consecutive years now the Board of Assessor's have given the business community the breaks, while resident's have borne the burden of more than Six ($6) million dollars more in taxes then necessary. That is correct; Resident's have paid more than Six ($6) million more in taxes than necessary. The reason is a matter of public record in that our Assessors failed to recommend what state law allows in terms of shifting taxes burden between residents and commercial property.
I urge you to go to the Tax classification meeting on monday evening at 7PM at the Town Hall. Your attendance could have a large influence on this years tax bill just by showing up and showing interest.

By Common Man

Stand up for your Tax bills

I attended last year at the request of this board. Mr. Joyce and Mr. Clifford were strong supporters of us residents. Maybe more will go this year in support of the residents. I have followed the tax setting process now for about 10 years. The last 3 years the Board of Assessors have stuck it to us, while commercial peoperty owners were given serious tax relief. It is business that uses our infrustructure and town resources at a higher rate than residents. It is they that should pay at the rate the state allows. Both Mr. Clifford and Vinny Joyce showed from public documents that the Board of Assessors failed to recommend what the state allows on commercial property. It is like anything else, if we residents do not pay attention than we will pay more taxes, and in this case unnecessarily high taxes. The previous writter say more than $6 million dollars more. It is absolutely true, I checked it our myself. If we let it happen to us again for the 4 th year in a row, we deserve it. Help by simply attending the Monday night tax classification meeting at the town hall at 7PM! Assessors,Jonathan Young, and Moran are Lawyers and no friends of the residents. Young and Cusack are business people in Town; do you tkink they might be biased for business....?
This BOA has hurt us residents.

By Mrs. K

I'll be There Monday

I am sick to death of these Assessor's. They have hurt not just the residents over the past 3 years, but hurt the town by not shifting the burden as law allows, with the potential of freeing up money for the residents, who just might put it back into the Braintree economy. I am going up there Monday night as a resident who needs to know why the shifting of tax burdens from resident to commercial is not as high as the law allows. The assessors race last year opened my eyes; they are hurting us resident. I hope more of us show up at town hall monday night, in support of those who will stand up for the resident's.


By Old Timer

Finger Selectmen, not Assessors

In the end after all the minutiae has been said next Monday night, remember one thing. It is the vote of the SELECTMEN who establish the tax classification ''shift'' and not the ASSESSORS. The Assessors may mealy mouth a lower shift, but I will be there demanding politics aside, we resident taxpayers want nothing short of the full shift onto the backs of the commercial properties. Think some will empty and flee Braintree. Not in your life. It's all about location, folks, that brought them here and a very reasonable tax burden to do business here. Don't let the Selectmen fail us again by soft touching this political pat on the back issue. Demand a full 200% shift to businesses this year. Then we can speak about a possible prop 2.5 override to get some of the town's needs addressed. Less than the maximum shift Monday night and our SELECTMEN have failed each and every one of us voting taxpaying residents.

By Mark