Opinions and Editorials

By Len Mead

August 8, 2009

Seven years ago our property taxes were about 20% over the state average when I happily moved to Westborough. Now they are 60% higher – about $7,000 compared to the state average of about $4,100.

As some of you readers know, I left Newton then because liberals there seemed to think higher taxes were the solution to everything. They proposed the largest Prop 2 ½ tax over-ride in state history at that time -- $11 million forever -- to pay for exploding spending. As president of the Newton Taxpayers Association, we opposed the tax increase.

The tax over-ride battle pitted old against young, upper class against middle class, public unions against private workers and parents against everyone else. It was a nasty, unpleasant fight that tore the city apart. The tax hike won by 709 votes out of about 28,000 cast.

That same year in 2002, a Westborough Prop 2 ½ tax override was narrowly avoided only because Astra Zeneca unexpectedly expanded its production and inventory. Town spending increases were thus funded with Astra’s unanticipated tax revenues.

That left me free to stay out of politics and devote about three years to restoring Westborough’s 1720 Captain John Maynard house – a labor of love.

Here, however, the scary thing for the next 7 years was that our taxes rose relentlessly year by year without a Prop 2 ½ over-ride vote to focus us on the peril. And so for the last three years, you, Dear Reader, have had to put up with my columns pointing out the facts and the dangers of Westborough’s rising taxes. I have warned that if spending isn’t controlled to less than what Prop 2 ½ tax increases can fund, trends show our property tax bills may rise inexorably to double the state average in just another 10 years.

Many have agreed with my forewarnings that better spending control is critical to keeping Westborough affordable for everyone. Other readers have suggested that exploding tax growth is only what Westborough people want when they approve spending at Town meeting.

My judgment, however, is that Town Meeting has sadly just become a vehicle for public employees to pack the meeting and vote their own pay and benefit increases -- leaving the remaining 200-300 attendees to quibble about other important town affairs whose financial impact is less than 25% of our total spending.

Still others have suggested that people like me objecting to tax increases should just move out of Westborough. My answer to that is, Naaah – I’d rather stay. Where better to take a conservative stand than in one’s own community?

I’ll side with the (no-longer) silent majority of ‘Town Meeting’ citizens who have finally had enough of bloated, government spending and meddling and are demanding that their elected officials remember who votes for and pays taxes for government services.

Friends, higher taxes destroy jobs, destroy communities, and destroy families. Only by lowering taxes and controlling public spending does an economy grow and create private sector jobs. How depressing then that our state sales tax was just increased 25% -- in a recession!

Worse, there is a new state “local option” allowing local cities and towns like Westborough to pile on and add even higher taxes on hotels and restaurants. For communities choosing to raise meals and hotel taxes even more, this will be yet another job destroying action sure to chase people out of the town or the state in the current recession

According to the US Census, Massachusetts has grown less than 1% and actually lost population in 2 of the last 5 years from 2004 – 2008 while the country has grown over 10%. As a quick factoid, Texas has created more jobs last year with their low tax, pro-growth economy than all the other states put together.

So where are Westborough taxes going? Not down like they should, apparently, in this recession.

Soon we’ll have a town meeting where whoever attends may approve even more spending due to budget “shortfalls.” Town meeting attendees may also approve letting “the voters” decide to raise taxes at a ballot election over-riding Prop 2 ½ to pay for a proposed $30 million plus public safety complex. Yes, of course our police and fire departments need improved facilities. But is the only choice nothing -- or tax hike of $3,400 for the average residential Westborough taxpayer ($170 for the next 20 years)?

Folks, you know where I stand. But with such critical issues coming up – and the Bush tax cuts due to expire soon pushing our economy further into recession, where do you stand? Why not write this publication – pro or con – on whether you believe raising our taxes (to possibly 70% higher than the state average!) or controlling spending is in our best interests?

From experience, I can tell you that reducing spending growth will be much, much better than a tax override ballot fight.

Len Mead can be reached anytime at mead1720@msn.com