Medford Happenings

The following is taken from Nick Giurleo’s facebook page. Nick is constantly posting his position and the things he would like to change if elected to the Medford City Council. He provides a great opportunity for not only information sharing but also to listen to your concerns. You will find that a majority of what is being posted is most likely something you agree with. Most importantly, he acknowledges that not everyone is going to agree on everything, that is not the point, the point is to come to a solution that works for everyone. For his daily posts please check out his public facing facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575246882228

His post on Prop 2.5:

Did you know members of the City Council have criticized the existence of the state law that limits how much you pay in property taxes each year?
For example, in one housing survey, Council President Zac Bears called for “an end to the restrictive Prop. 2.5 [sic] property tax regime.” In this same comment he also called for rent control and transfer fees, as well as the granting of home rule petitions to give municipalities “significantly more power” to achieve these ends.

President Bears, most of his colleagues on the Council, and his slate have vocally criticized Proposition 2.5, the state law enacted by referendum that caps the amount taxes can be raised in a single year by a municipality to 2.5% of the value of all taxable property absent a referendum to “override” it. In the Our Revolution Medford “People’s” platform, for instance, Proposition 2.5 is described as being part of a “flawed system”. The platform suggests it is flawed because it prevents municipalities from levying taxes without restriction, and spending with abandon.

Proposition 2.5 is by no means a perfect statute, but the principle that there should be a limit on how much you have to pay in property taxes each year is a good one. A vote to reelect the councilors who have criticized the mere existence of Proposition 2.5 is all but assuredly a vote for future overrides. It is also a vote for candidates who are not listening to residents concerned about staying in their homes due to how high their tax bills are.

Support Nick, a candidate who thinks high taxes is a major obstacle to affordability in Medford. When elected, Nick will ensure our city exhausts every alternative to raising taxes before even beginning a discussion on whether doing so is necessary.

In other words, raising taxes should be our last resort, not our first.
The photo below is a summary of the results of the 1980 referendum on Proposition 2.5 from the Massachusetts Secretary of State website.