1
00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:06,320
Speaker 1: It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.

2
00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,520
Speaker 2: Well, Dan, markets, thank you very much. As we move

3
00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,200
Speaker 2: into our nine o'clock hour. Also, we'll be opening up

4
00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:17,560
Speaker 2: phone lines. This is a topic that I think is

5
00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:22,720
Speaker 2: going to be hotly debated in the next few weeks

6
00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,400
Speaker 2: with us As Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins, Nick represents

7
00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:31,280
Speaker 2: a good portion in Boston. How much of the city, Nick,

8
00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:32,920
Speaker 2: do you represented the state Senate?

9
00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,960
Speaker 3: I represent one hundred and sixty thousand people Dorchester, South Boston,

10
00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,000
Speaker 3: the South End, Twntown, a bit of Back Bay, a

11
00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:47,880
Speaker 3: bit of Roxbury, a little bit of downtown and the waterfront,

12
00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:49,560
Speaker 3: along with the Hot Islands.

13
00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:55,240
Speaker 2: Well, you have a big constituent, a big group of constituents,

14
00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,959
Speaker 2: all of whom are impacted by this. I'd like you

15
00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,600
Speaker 2: to explain how we get to this point where the

16
00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,280
Speaker 2: City of Boston is basically saying they are in a

17
00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,399
Speaker 2: horrific situation. Is what Mayor Wu was saying. I think

18
00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,280
Speaker 2: she's saying that she's going to have to raise property

19
00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:21,560
Speaker 2: taxes for Boston's homeowners by upwards of thirteen percent unless

20
00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:26,880
Speaker 2: somehow the state gives her the right to switch that

21
00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:32,040
Speaker 2: additional burden onto a commercial the but dragon commercial owners,

22
00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,479
Speaker 2: How did we get into this situation? This was discussed

23
00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:41,280
Speaker 2: during the campaign, but the newspapers didn't give it too much.

24
00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:46,480
Speaker 2: I mean, I know that Josh Kraft had talked about

25
00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,920
Speaker 2: a two percent, you know, reduction in the city's but

26
00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:55,440
Speaker 2: city's budget is now how many billion dollars?

27
00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:59,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, so it's a great question. The mayor didn't bring

28
00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,160
Speaker 3: us up the entire campaign, which they think it was

29
00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,680
Speaker 3: odd she had a proposal. Apparently there was a secret

30
00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,919
Speaker 3: for a year and then just cut surfaced a week ago.

31
00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,120
Speaker 3: So no, I think it's just an effort to distract

32
00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,080
Speaker 3: people here. Of the facts, you cannot raise property taxes

33
00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:20,959
Speaker 3: on any municipality more than two point five percent without

34
00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,120
Speaker 3: a vote of the people. That's Prop two and a half.

35
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,840
Speaker 3: They're not required to raise property taxes across the board

36
00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,600
Speaker 3: up to two and a half. There is a subjective

37
00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,519
Speaker 3: decision of a mayor that's required to vote to the

38
00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,440
Speaker 3: city council. That's what's happening here. The mayor is choosing

39
00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:41,399
Speaker 3: to raise taxes on everybody. And just for the record,

40
00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:46,360
Speaker 3: as of today, we finally heard from the mayor's team

41
00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:51,040
Speaker 3: that they want to raise both commercial taxes and real taxes.

42
00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,440
Speaker 3: So this notion that her proposal is seeing a dip

43
00:02:55,560 --> 00:03:01,440
Speaker 3: in commercial taxes is just patently false. Her proposal today

44
00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,440
Speaker 3: has an increase on commercial taxes over last year. So

45
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,679
Speaker 3: it's just this, you know, a shell game that I

46
00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,960
Speaker 3: don't think is going to work again this year. Their

47
00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,760
Speaker 3: proposal in front of the Senate, I'm sorry, in front

48
00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,919
Speaker 3: of the legislature hasn't you know, had a movement, But

49
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,600
Speaker 3: we haven't heard from anybody on it until a few

50
00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,120
Speaker 3: days ago, and it was filed late. It was such

51
00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,239
Speaker 3: a priority. How could a bill like that be filed late?

52
00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,359
Speaker 3: Put that deside for a second, how we got here

53
00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:34,160
Speaker 3: wild spending with federal funding that we had one time

54
00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,960
Speaker 3: under ARPA, the blow of the budget, which is why

55
00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,720
Speaker 3: we had an eight percent increase last year on the

56
00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:44,000
Speaker 3: city level, but to circumvent Prop two and a half,

57
00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:48,720
Speaker 3: the people's right to vote, the proposal to shift a

58
00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:53,280
Speaker 3: burden onto commercial properties. And I don't represent downtown where

59
00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:57,880
Speaker 3: the cascade is happening the most. The waterfront's pretty stable,

60
00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,560
Speaker 3: but the cascade is happening downtown. But what is hidden

61
00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:06,560
Speaker 3: here is the beating that this proposal would put on

62
00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,800
Speaker 3: small businesses on main streets that don't have empty office

63
00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,400
Speaker 3: buildings above them that have lost value. They're either owned

64
00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,440
Speaker 3: by the small business owner or that small business owner

65
00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,680
Speaker 3: is in a triple at least where where the taxes

66
00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,640
Speaker 3: get passed down to they would get croked. They're already

67
00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,320
Speaker 3: at one hundred and seventy five percent more than the

68
00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:30,320
Speaker 3: residential burden. Mayor talks about the Watertown proposal that happened

69
00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,960
Speaker 3: a couple of years ago, comparing themselves to Watertown, wonderful place,

70
00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,400
Speaker 3: nothing like Boston, certainly not anything close to the tax base.

71
00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,600
Speaker 3: Their proposal that they asked for some changes had them

72
00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:45,599
Speaker 3: starting at sixty percent burden on commercial. I'm sorry, sixty

73
00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:50,280
Speaker 3: percent burden unresidential, forty percent burden on commercial. They asked

74
00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:54,600
Speaker 3: us to give them an ability to split that fifty

75
00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,279
Speaker 3: to fifty. Boston is already the best in the state,

76
00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:02,280
Speaker 3: which is sixty forty sixty residents. So sorry, sixty commercial

77
00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:06,359
Speaker 3: forty residential. So suggesting that you know she wants what

78
00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:10,520
Speaker 3: Watertown wants, would actually raise taxes on residential in Boston,

79
00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,040
Speaker 3: so it doesn't have a fractorate. It's a flailing exercise

80
00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,880
Speaker 3: because it doesn't have a chance that the proposals before

81
00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:23,080
Speaker 3: us that we had we filed early as priorities to

82
00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:26,240
Speaker 3: provide relief are advancing in the Senate. I have a

83
00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:31,560
Speaker 3: proposal along with Senator Will Brownsberger that would allow uh,

84
00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:32,960
Speaker 3: this is also manufactured.

85
00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:35,760
Speaker 2: Let me let me, let me make let me do

86
00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,320
Speaker 2: let me let me jump in here for a second,

87
00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,159
Speaker 2: because I think that you know this stuff so well

88
00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:43,560
Speaker 2: that I need to slow you down a little bit

89
00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,440
Speaker 2: so that so that so that my audience can understand it.

90
00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:52,440
Speaker 2: Because this, this will have a tremendous impact. My understanding

91
00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:57,839
Speaker 2: is that this Wednesday, the mayor intends to increase the

92
00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:02,640
Speaker 2: residential tax rate by seven percent. Is that a new development?

93
00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:07,720
Speaker 3: Yes? No, that the mayor. The only person that can

94
00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,479
Speaker 3: raise taxes in the municipality is the mayor. The mayor

95
00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:12,320
Speaker 3: is putting forth a proposal for the vote of the

96
00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:16,200
Speaker 3: city Council to increase taxes across the board to the

97
00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:21,000
Speaker 3: maximum levee, which includes an increased tax rate on commercial

98
00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:24,039
Speaker 3: properties and an increased tax rate from last year on

99
00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:30,400
Speaker 3: residential properties. And that vote is to both thanktion the

100
00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:35,839
Speaker 3: new rates in the overall max levee that they're seeking,

101
00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,640
Speaker 3: and that has been the plan all along. I believe

102
00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,520
Speaker 3: that the mayor should not raise taxes to the max

103
00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,960
Speaker 3: levee the subjective move. You don't have to do it, okay, So.

104
00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:49,159
Speaker 2: Why do you make sure you just you use the

105
00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,640
Speaker 2: word that some people are not going to understand okay.

106
00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:54,839
Speaker 2: When they talk about Prop two and a half, and

107
00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,440
Speaker 2: I was around when it was passed, what they basically

108
00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,120
Speaker 2: said is I understand that you know it probably better

109
00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:06,960
Speaker 2: than me. Is that if let us say the levee

110
00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:11,320
Speaker 2: a year ago was million dollars, okay, and that was

111
00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,680
Speaker 2: the combined taxes were where one hundred million dollars. You

112
00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,680
Speaker 2: could then raise it from one hundred million no more

113
00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,360
Speaker 2: than two and a half percent, so you were capped

114
00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,520
Speaker 2: at raising the next year to one hundred and two

115
00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,200
Speaker 2: and and a half million dollars. So it's the levee

116
00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,520
Speaker 2: is the amount that they collect. Then the question becomes

117
00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:37,640
Speaker 2: who do they collect it from? Residential? Commercial? And that's

118
00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,360
Speaker 2: where the rubber really meets the road at this point,

119
00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:44,720
Speaker 2: how does she propose a seven percent increase in the

120
00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:49,960
Speaker 2: residential tax rate on Wednesday? That seems to me to

121
00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,520
Speaker 2: be hugely out of line with two and a half percent,

122
00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,120
Speaker 2: because if the levee can only be two and a

123
00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:57,880
Speaker 2: half percent.

124
00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,480
Speaker 3: That's a good question. So the levey overall all the aggregates,

125
00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:08,640
Speaker 3: so every commercial property, every residential property together, Yeah, overall.

126
00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,440
Speaker 3: Every dime you can raise, you can only be I'll

127
00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,320
Speaker 3: break downars was one hundred bucks last year. There'll only

128
00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,600
Speaker 3: be one hundred and two dollars and fifty cents next

129
00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,600
Speaker 3: year yet, and so they're going to the ceiling there.

130
00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,640
Speaker 3: You don't have to, and you don't have to in

131
00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,520
Speaker 3: a city that for the previous administrations in the last

132
00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:29,600
Speaker 3: two decades has so much revenue. We're coming in in

133
00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,360
Speaker 3: the surplus because of new growth, which we have the

134
00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:38,440
Speaker 3: lowest new growth, which is new construction, new development, new business,

135
00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:42,480
Speaker 3: the lowest growth in a decade this year, which has

136
00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:44,320
Speaker 3: not prought up two and a half so you can

137
00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:48,120
Speaker 3: go beyond that with new business. So you're not hitting

138
00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,120
Speaker 3: that stealing, which is why we have what Moody's has

139
00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:56,959
Speaker 3: considered stockpiled taxpayer dollars in our surplus count, which they're

140
00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,959
Speaker 3: saying you shouldn't do, and then also raised his maximum

141
00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,680
Speaker 3: you can every year so they don't need to go

142
00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,400
Speaker 3: to the max levey. They're choosing to because they want to.

143
00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,080
Speaker 2: But that what I'm trying to get at. If if

144
00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:13,920
Speaker 2: the number, it's my understanding. If I'm wrong here, please

145
00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,679
Speaker 2: correct me. That the mayor will ask the council on

146
00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:21,360
Speaker 2: Wednesday to raise the residential tax rate by seven percent.

147
00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,480
Speaker 2: Is that a figure? Am I mistaken on that?

148
00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:26,040
Speaker 3: No, that's that's true.

149
00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:32,800
Speaker 2: So so she's asking homeowners, residents who are own their

150
00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:36,800
Speaker 2: own home, to pony up an additional seven percent.

151
00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:43,920
Speaker 3: Now again that's not just here's the hidden tax. They

152
00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,880
Speaker 3: were still trying to pull up. This happened last year

153
00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:49,880
Speaker 3: from the same time as your recall, like this year,

154
00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:54,960
Speaker 3: we asked to release the data on valuations. Well, the

155
00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,079
Speaker 3: city's doing unilattery the mayor. That's unilattery with her assessor

156
00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:02,680
Speaker 3: not to go to the council, is increase valuations for

157
00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:08,720
Speaker 3: everyone's property, sticly residential, and that's done unilaterally. So here's

158
00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:10,480
Speaker 3: the hidden tax. You don't get a vote on that.

159
00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:14,079
Speaker 3: They can jack up the value assessed value of your home.

160
00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,520
Speaker 3: So at an existing tact rate, your bill goes up

161
00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:21,959
Speaker 3: with an evaluation increase. So the mayor is saying, oh, well,

162
00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:25,600
Speaker 3: if we don't get this tax ship which is going nowhere,

163
00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,000
Speaker 3: it's not even a viable option. Then your bill that

164
00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,880
Speaker 3: I planned all along, the increase is going to go

165
00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:38,160
Speaker 3: up generally, you know, thirteen percent with a seven percent

166
00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,600
Speaker 3: increase in rate. So where did that other six percent

167
00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:46,000
Speaker 3: come from? The hidden tax? The increased valuation that you

168
00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:48,840
Speaker 3: had no say in the matter, nor to the city council.

169
00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:53,080
Speaker 3: They haven't even received yet. They haven't even released the

170
00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:56,920
Speaker 3: property site level data. So people know and the city

171
00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:01,520
Speaker 3: council knows what the people on there to constituency's home

172
00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,360
Speaker 3: values are now that they're going to be taxing, you

173
00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:09,240
Speaker 3: know what the aggregate is across the city. Yeah, because

174
00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:09,640
Speaker 3: they're back.

175
00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,320
Speaker 2: This is going to be a nightmare for Boston residents,

176
00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:16,360
Speaker 2: homeowners in Boston. Nick, let's take a break here. I'll

177
00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,640
Speaker 2: let people absorb some of these numbers. It's always tough

178
00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,559
Speaker 2: on radio to do numbers, but I think it's such

179
00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,320
Speaker 2: an important issue. We'll open up phone lines if you

180
00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,880
Speaker 2: have questions six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty

181
00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,960
Speaker 2: six one seven, nine, three, one ten thirty. I've got

182
00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,319
Speaker 2: simple questions, but if you have any questions, no one

183
00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,960
Speaker 2: knows this stuff better than Nick Collins, Massachusetts State Senator.

184
00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:40,920
Speaker 2: Will be back with Nick Collins and your phone call

185
00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,559
Speaker 2: six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty six one seven, nine, three,

186
00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:48,640
Speaker 2: one ten thirty. Elections do have consequences. The mayoral election

187
00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:53,920
Speaker 2: is over. Josh Kraft did raise some of these concerns,

188
00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:58,600
Speaker 2: but the media, at least, I think the Globe was

189
00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:04,520
Speaker 2: not as conscientious because numbers are tough. Numbers are tough,

190
00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:09,480
Speaker 2: but the bottom line is numbers become bills, and tax

191
00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:11,959
Speaker 2: bills need to be paid. We'll be back on Nightside

192
00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:12,360
Speaker 2: after this.

193
00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:18,640
Speaker 1: It's Night Side with Boston's News Radio.

194
00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:25,000
Speaker 2: With me is Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins. Nick represents

195
00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:27,400
Speaker 2: a good portion of Boston and he's in the forefront

196
00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:32,320
Speaker 2: of this Boston property tax debate. Let me look at it.

197
00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:36,400
Speaker 2: Let me try to take this the set of problems apart. Nick, So,

198
00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,800
Speaker 2: I know that the mayor had hoped that she could

199
00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,280
Speaker 2: go up to Beacon Hill and Beacon Hill would give

200
00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,679
Speaker 2: her and the City of Boston permission to in effect

201
00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,599
Speaker 2: go by and override the limitations of Prop two and

202
00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:53,040
Speaker 2: a half.

203
00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:59,800
Speaker 3: That yes, that is essentially the effort circumvent Prop to

204
00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:03,040
Speaker 3: a half. He's been vocal saying that she wants to

205
00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:04,760
Speaker 3: get rid of Prop two and a half, which would

206
00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:07,880
Speaker 3: automatically get rid of people's right to vote on that.

207
00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:10,840
Speaker 3: Anything over two and a half, that's just that's that's

208
00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:13,320
Speaker 3: fundamental right to vote, to try and to take away.

209
00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,040
Speaker 2: Sure, now, is she not saying at this point that

210
00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:19,000
Speaker 2: she intends to trim the budget by two percent?

211
00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:25,600
Speaker 3: That's what we've heard. We'll see. But here's what this

212
00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,960
Speaker 3: is about. Two not just start filing taxpayer cash that

213
00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,679
Speaker 3: they should give back to the people. We have two

214
00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:34,040
Speaker 3: proposals that would do that. I want to get to

215
00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:36,480
Speaker 3: a little bit. Sure, but we talked about this last

216
00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:40,079
Speaker 3: year too, Dan, the death Service. This is in their

217
00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,920
Speaker 3: own budget. I mean, you can't make this up, like

218
00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:46,240
Speaker 3: after all that, after all that federal funding a billion.

219
00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:53,040
Speaker 3: Now this year again we're increasing death service thirty three

220
00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,440
Speaker 3: point nine million dollars, a twelve point three percent increase.

221
00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,960
Speaker 3: You combine the increase in residential commercial that's what you

222
00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:05,960
Speaker 3: get a twelve and a half percent increase the thirteen

223
00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:10,960
Speaker 3: percent increase. So when you're spending like that, not just

224
00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,880
Speaker 3: you know, on operating funds that people think that they're

225
00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:18,280
Speaker 3: going to services, but you're taking out thirty mortgages and

226
00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:21,320
Speaker 3: this is this thirty three this thirty three million, thirty

227
00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:26,080
Speaker 3: three nine million cab is this year and then some

228
00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,840
Speaker 3: It's not a one year payoff. These are obligations that

229
00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,760
Speaker 3: are gonna stadtle a generation. So that's what we're talking about.

230
00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:35,080
Speaker 3: It's not just year to year. And I think you've

231
00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,040
Speaker 3: heard this debate playout with some others like, this is

232
00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:40,960
Speaker 3: a problem that's bigger than just a year to year

233
00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:45,560
Speaker 3: whacked that the mayor is putting on residential property owners.

234
00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:47,920
Speaker 3: But we have a fix to that if we're smart

235
00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,080
Speaker 3: using our surplus account and we can get to that.

236
00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:53,120
Speaker 3: But that's to think about that. It's now an increase

237
00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,200
Speaker 3: of thirty three percent. It's it's been an increase of

238
00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:58,320
Speaker 3: one hundred and almost one hundred and fifty million dollars

239
00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,280
Speaker 3: over the last five years. What I don't see the

240
00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:05,720
Speaker 3: administration fifty that was one hundred and fifty increase of

241
00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:08,240
Speaker 3: death service payments. That's crazy, Nick.

242
00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:12,080
Speaker 2: What I don't understand is this, we did not have

243
00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:16,920
Speaker 2: the Seaport district twenty years ago, and the Seaport district

244
00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:23,320
Speaker 2: is a very expensive, wealthy district. You know, restaurants, condominiums,

245
00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:28,960
Speaker 2: multimillion dollar condominiums. None of that was available when Tom

246
00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:34,480
Speaker 2: Menino was mayor. It was just coming online. You would

247
00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:39,600
Speaker 2: think that our budget that that that that again the

248
00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:46,200
Speaker 2: Seaport District would would be I would be additional tax

249
00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:50,040
Speaker 2: revenue coming into Boston that they couldn't spend all the

250
00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:52,840
Speaker 2: money that's coming in. And it's going to turn out

251
00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,760
Speaker 2: now that homeowners in Hyde Park and West Roxbury and

252
00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:00,080
Speaker 2: Roslindale and Georchester and Mattapan and the South End and

253
00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:04,600
Speaker 2: in Roxbury and South Boston and East Boston and Charlestown,

254
00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:10,400
Speaker 2: they're gonna they're gonna see their tax bills go up exponentially.

255
00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:10,680
Speaker 1: Here.

256
00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,360
Speaker 2: It's out of control. I just don't understand how this

257
00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:19,680
Speaker 2: wasn't fully fully debated during a mayoral election that was

258
00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,480
Speaker 2: about about eight weeks of six or seven weeks ago.

259
00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,400
Speaker 3: I totly agree, but it's to your point, like, how

260
00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:30,160
Speaker 3: does this happen when you spend at eight percent increases

261
00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,160
Speaker 3: and you can only take in and the aggregate two

262
00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:35,000
Speaker 3: point five. But what do you think that's gonna go?

263
00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,240
Speaker 3: Taking out death service? You know you have taken out

264
00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:40,960
Speaker 3: debt to the tune of increased death service. Samis the

265
00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:44,000
Speaker 3: thirty three million dollars a year. I mean, the math

266
00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,680
Speaker 3: doesn't add up the math. The numbers don't lie. So

267
00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:51,640
Speaker 3: the smoke screen political theater, you know, run around making

268
00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:55,240
Speaker 3: you know, narratives and stuff. It's irrelevant. It's about maths

269
00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:57,080
Speaker 3: and the math doesn't lie.

270
00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,360
Speaker 2: Okay, when we come back, I got to break here

271
00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:01,080
Speaker 2: for the bottom of it are and we can talk

272
00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,800
Speaker 2: about any aspect of this as you want. I'm trying

273
00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:07,359
Speaker 2: to understand, is how this how you think this is

274
00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,600
Speaker 2: going to play out? The mayor, I think you're pretty

275
00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:13,600
Speaker 2: confident it's not going to get any help from Beacon Hill, correct,

276
00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:15,800
Speaker 2: I mean she's up there too late, should have been

277
00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:16,920
Speaker 2: up there six months old.

278
00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,480
Speaker 3: Well, I say this, there are solutions that were going

279
00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:21,760
Speaker 3: to talk about legislatively that helped the city, help the mayor,

280
00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:26,040
Speaker 3: help their tax payers. But this us versus them, you know,

281
00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:29,239
Speaker 3: commercial bad guys. When their rates are going up, they said, oh,

282
00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:31,400
Speaker 3: it's a tax is going on. No, I mean there

283
00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:34,840
Speaker 3: are people downtown. Again, I don't represent who's whose values

284
00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:40,000
Speaker 3: are cascading and there therefore the value that property is plumbing,

285
00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,760
Speaker 3: but their rates are going down. Their rates are going up.

286
00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, and there's a lot of commercial property that post

287
00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:55,040
Speaker 2: COVID now is empty. Buildings in Boston. You're absolutely absolutely correct.

288
00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,200
Speaker 3: On that ye about the waterfront and the sea point.

289
00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:01,480
Speaker 3: Their values aren't. They're still full. So the notion that oh,

290
00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,159
Speaker 3: they're getting a tax rate, no not. Their values are

291
00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:06,520
Speaker 3: going up, and so of that tax rates, they're being

292
00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,199
Speaker 3: attacked one hundred and seventy percent more than residential. So

293
00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,920
Speaker 3: that's not the issue. The issue is what happens to

294
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,720
Speaker 3: small business for this proposal. They get croaked, most of

295
00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:17,600
Speaker 3: them will never recover, and they've said this to us.

296
00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,679
Speaker 3: This is why we're listening to everybody. And we're also

297
00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:23,440
Speaker 3: got some proposals we can talk about after you break

298
00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:26,119
Speaker 3: that the Senate has proposed at the beginning of session

299
00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,439
Speaker 3: on time as a priority because we're paying attention to

300
00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:30,960
Speaker 3: this stuff that's moving, that's going to be able to

301
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,080
Speaker 3: provide relief for residents. So happy to talk about that too.

302
00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:35,760
Speaker 2: Okay, So we'll talk about some positive developments if people

303
00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:38,800
Speaker 2: have any questions. Six one, seven, two, five, four ten

304
00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,760
Speaker 2: thirty six one seven, nine, three ten thirty. Coming right

305
00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:45,560
Speaker 2: back on Night's side with Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins.

306
00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:53,600
Speaker 1: It's Night with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio with us.

307
00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:57,400
Speaker 2: As Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins, Nick, when let's let's

308
00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:03,880
Speaker 2: put some guardrails up here. Will Boston taxpayers, Boston homeowners

309
00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:08,280
Speaker 2: get their new real estate tax bills in the mail? When? When?

310
00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:11,040
Speaker 2: When are they likely going to hit their their mailbox?

311
00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,240
Speaker 3: Uh? So when will they get them in the mail?

312
00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:16,959
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah? When will they finally?

313
00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:22,560
Speaker 3: Yeah? So great question. What what they should have already

314
00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:25,879
Speaker 3: be informed about is what the value their property is

315
00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:28,400
Speaker 3: going to be for their consul's vote on They're still

316
00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:32,720
Speaker 3: hiding that data, which is unbelievable. But they're supposed to

317
00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:36,119
Speaker 3: got bills in the new year that would have to

318
00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:40,360
Speaker 3: get paid by the end of the quarter. Uh And

319
00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:46,359
Speaker 3: so what happened last year was there was what I

320
00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,800
Speaker 3: came in the form of double bills by the city

321
00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,880
Speaker 3: in the first two quarters to make up for their

322
00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,560
Speaker 3: new big valuation increase. In the new big tax increase,

323
00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:59,159
Speaker 3: they doubled on pumped people. Instead of spreading it out

324
00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:06,480
Speaker 3: over the year, they tax on an annual basis January

325
00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:10,080
Speaker 3: first to December thirty first, and they spend on a

326
00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:13,320
Speaker 3: fiscal year basis do I first sue food thirty year.

327
00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:18,200
Speaker 3: So instead of getting wrongness leaves up and trying to

328
00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,600
Speaker 3: figure out a way to spread that out over the

329
00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:24,760
Speaker 3: course of time from an operational standpoint. Internally, they doubled

330
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,520
Speaker 3: up on people. So that there's two proposals we have

331
00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,720
Speaker 3: in front of us that the Senate put forth. Myself,

332
00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:32,800
Speaker 3: I had put one of these bills forward, along with

333
00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,720
Speaker 3: Will Brounsberger, who represents their good chunk of Boston. On

334
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:39,760
Speaker 3: the other side, they do two things. When someone's tax

335
00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:43,520
Speaker 3: bill is about to go up more than ten percent,

336
00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:48,040
Speaker 3: what's in the case of many, with the combination of

337
00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:55,240
Speaker 3: increased valuations and the seven percent increase in the race,

338
00:20:56,280 --> 00:21:01,359
Speaker 3: they'd be eligible to get their increased mini tapping the

339
00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:09,720
Speaker 3: shurtplus funds the stockpiled serveplus funds. Similarly utilizing the shurtplus account.

340
00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:15,119
Speaker 3: This other bill that I put forth would allow municipal

341
00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:21,399
Speaker 3: leaders building the mayor to issue rebates give the people

342
00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,960
Speaker 3: their money back. The Moodies is telling us it's stockpiled,

343
00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:30,320
Speaker 3: not me or someone else. It's an independent rating agency

344
00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:34,320
Speaker 3: that rates and analyze the city finances. So what they

345
00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:37,840
Speaker 3: say is, don't stockpile people's tax dollars while you're raising

346
00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,520
Speaker 3: to the max. You have to do something with it,

347
00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,240
Speaker 3: whether you're giving it back or utilizing it for the

348
00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,960
Speaker 3: budget operating budget, leveraging of the capital budget. Don't you

349
00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,639
Speaker 3: have it sit there while you're also getting, you know,

350
00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:55,679
Speaker 3: dowging as much as you possibly can from taxpayers. So

351
00:21:55,760 --> 00:22:01,800
Speaker 3: our proposals would both mitigate increases and give every homeowner

352
00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,880
Speaker 3: in Boston a rebate. The mayor is suggesting that per

353
00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:10,040
Speaker 3: tax increase would be an increase of seven hundred and

354
00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:17,640
Speaker 3: eighty seven dollars per homeowner. Last year, the city took

355
00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:20,560
Speaker 3: one hundred and ten million dollars out of the surplus

356
00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:28,440
Speaker 3: account to put towards investments. The public made investments. Taxpayers

357
00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:35,400
Speaker 3: made investments in new housing, affordable housing for future residents

358
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,600
Speaker 3: of Boston. What we're saying is, let's use some of that.

359
00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:45,480
Speaker 3: Let's use ninety nine million. It's about ninety nine thousand

360
00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:48,919
Speaker 3: residents of property owners in Boston. Let's give them all

361
00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:52,480
Speaker 3: thousand dollars back of their money. As you recall, that

362
00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:54,919
Speaker 3: happened at the state level a number of years ago

363
00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,359
Speaker 3: when old laws similar to Prop. To two and a

364
00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:03,639
Speaker 3: half that triggered when we had a certain amount of

365
00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:09,800
Speaker 3: revenue came in over a threshold. They the law that

366
00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,639
Speaker 3: was put in place by the voters at the ballot

367
00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,560
Speaker 3: said you got to give that back. So that's what

368
00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,360
Speaker 3: we're saying it, mois your challenge a stockpile. We want

369
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,960
Speaker 3: to give them the mayor and other municipalities get sorry

370
00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:24,280
Speaker 3: to tap surplus funds in a way that doesn't impact

371
00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:27,080
Speaker 3: the bond rating and give it back to the people.

372
00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:29,000
Speaker 3: If we're going to spend one hundred and ten million

373
00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:33,560
Speaker 3: dollars last you have taxpayer dollars on housing that may

374
00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:35,800
Speaker 3: be built for people in the future. We think the

375
00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:39,480
Speaker 3: people here who are paying taxes now deserve a break

376
00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:40,720
Speaker 3: and deserve some of their money back.

377
00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:44,360
Speaker 2: How is it that the city of Boston can maintain

378
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,439
Speaker 2: a surplus? I mean, you have the fight going on

379
00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:48,640
Speaker 2: at the state House with the Reeney Day Fund where

380
00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:51,240
Speaker 2: we have close to nine billion dollars in a rainy

381
00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:54,600
Speaker 2: day fund and the governor doesn't want to use that

382
00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:59,600
Speaker 2: for anything for some reason. Is this the equivalent of

383
00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,640
Speaker 2: a raw they fund in Boston the surplus or.

384
00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,000
Speaker 3: Yes, they don't, Yeah they don't. They don't sort of

385
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,840
Speaker 3: appropriate it the same way. But yes, it's excess revenue

386
00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:15,280
Speaker 3: that they take in and if they have taken in

387
00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:18,320
Speaker 3: over the course of time, and I think you could

388
00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:24,040
Speaker 3: probably assign it to the development boom that Minino oversaw

389
00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:28,000
Speaker 3: in the latter part of his time. Uh, the boom

390
00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:31,600
Speaker 3: times that were here on the Mayor Walsh and you know,

391
00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:35,520
Speaker 3: there's you know again, we've had the lowest new growth

392
00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:38,960
Speaker 3: numbers in a decade this year, which is a part

393
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,080
Speaker 3: of the problem. So when you're maxing going to the

394
00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:45,359
Speaker 3: max levee and you've got new growth and you get

395
00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:49,240
Speaker 3: tourism dollars coming in from meals and hotel taxes, and

396
00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,200
Speaker 3: that's great, and over time you get more than you

397
00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:56,040
Speaker 3: probably need. Now we're in a situation where those those

398
00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:59,479
Speaker 3: new growth numbers are low because of a bunch of reasons.

399
00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,679
Speaker 3: And I think plenty argue that some local policies are

400
00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:06,280
Speaker 3: a part of the problem for new growth. But what

401
00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,240
Speaker 3: we have is a dynamic where we're now seeking more

402
00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:17,040
Speaker 3: revenue from taxpayers that we've stockpiled their money already. He's

403
00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:19,679
Speaker 3: the same taxpayers for the most part, that have already

404
00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:24,399
Speaker 3: given us that cushion, so sizeable cushion. We're actually to

405
00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:27,960
Speaker 3: pay more to spend more. And that's the that's the

406
00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,720
Speaker 3: that's the Oh, it's not about that, of course, it's

407
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:36,280
Speaker 3: about spending the government exists, and that's the fact of

408
00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:36,640
Speaker 3: the race.

409
00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:39,600
Speaker 2: For what is Boston spending all this money on? I mean,

410
00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:44,960
Speaker 2: the police are are down four hundred members.

411
00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:49,880
Speaker 3: Uh, there's no, no, it's a great question. I mean,

412
00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:51,400
Speaker 3: what are you getting to see it all there? That's

413
00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:52,360
Speaker 3: a great yeah.

414
00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:56,439
Speaker 2: I mean it's like it's not like they're building police

415
00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:00,000
Speaker 2: stations somewhere or fire stations.

416
00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:04,440
Speaker 3: Schools, right, no closing schools. They had put Madison Park

417
00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,240
Speaker 3: on hold. They need a bailout from the state to

418
00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,159
Speaker 3: to to rebuild Madison Park. They want to spend one

419
00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:13,720
Speaker 3: hundred million dollars out of the BPS capital budget on

420
00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:17,840
Speaker 3: a private soccer stadium and concert venue at Franklin.

421
00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:20,400
Speaker 2: Park, right, which doesn't really benefit the city.

422
00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:21,480
Speaker 3: You saw the numbers.

423
00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:24,959
Speaker 2: Yeah, well that doesn't really benefit the city. I mean,

424
00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:26,639
Speaker 2: they spent a lot of money to cut down one

425
00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,840
Speaker 2: hundred and forty two trees, you know, but none of

426
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,640
Speaker 2: those issues in the recently in the recent campaign, you know,

427
00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,919
Speaker 2: Josh Kraft worked really hard to try to make people

428
00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:40,920
Speaker 2: understand those issues, and it just sounded to me as

429
00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,080
Speaker 2: if the taxpayers in Boston, the homeowners in Boston were

430
00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:49,240
Speaker 2: asleep at the switch because the mayor carried most of

431
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:54,040
Speaker 2: the pre wards. Small, small moment. I think people went

432
00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:55,680
Speaker 2: to sleep, no choke.

433
00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:59,919
Speaker 3: But I also think you said numbers are mass complicated,

434
00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:04,560
Speaker 3: so there's no sound bites that make that easy. But

435
00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,199
Speaker 3: you asked, was it I mean, I don't know. I

436
00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,840
Speaker 3: know bike lanes was a big priority, and you know

437
00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,720
Speaker 3: we have you know, trips over the steps side of

438
00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:16,879
Speaker 3: the state and lawyer fees and all that. You know,

439
00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,480
Speaker 3: everything adds up. Well, the thing that gets me is

440
00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:25,359
Speaker 3: this debt service. These are thirty year obligations, ten twenty

441
00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:29,280
Speaker 3: thirty year obligations in increase of thirty three million. What

442
00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:31,879
Speaker 3: did we spend it on? I don't see it. People

443
00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:35,639
Speaker 3: are asking me that, like in the state provides funds

444
00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:38,480
Speaker 3: for the road repairs on the Chapter ninety. So it's like,

445
00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:42,720
Speaker 3: I don't see where that money is going. If there's

446
00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:46,160
Speaker 3: a benefit, tangible benefit, you'd feel, you see it taking

447
00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:49,399
Speaker 3: on the capital side, which is what the debt service

448
00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:52,560
Speaker 3: is about. Borrowing, You borrow your bond and you put

449
00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:54,960
Speaker 3: those into long term capital lessons. I don't know. I

450
00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:55,560
Speaker 3: don't see it.

451
00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:58,639
Speaker 2: People don't nick my memory might be wrong here. I

452
00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:02,119
Speaker 2: don't think it is the last three of four winters.

453
00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,119
Speaker 2: We haven't had much snow in Boston, so all of

454
00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:10,280
Speaker 2: those costs that other administrations had to lay out for

455
00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:14,440
Speaker 2: plowing the streets, we haven't spent much money in Boston

456
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,399
Speaker 2: on snow plowing and standing and all of that.

457
00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:20,520
Speaker 3: So you or that hasn't been a budget buster by

458
00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:24,680
Speaker 3: any means exactly, And so you know, I figuess it's

459
00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:28,440
Speaker 3: it's hot to pin down exactly what the benefits are here.

460
00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:32,359
Speaker 3: But what we know is we have a gigantic surplus

461
00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,879
Speaker 3: in Boston. We spent some of it one hundred and

462
00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:39,000
Speaker 3: ten million on residents future residents of Boston. We have

463
00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:44,320
Speaker 3: spent that on the current residence of Boston. Our legislation

464
00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:48,960
Speaker 3: allows that to happen. We hope that it will get

465
00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:53,000
Speaker 3: support from the city and the mayor and provide those

466
00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:56,240
Speaker 3: relief to all us the taxpayers. That can still be

467
00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,560
Speaker 3: done even if this is what I'm saying, Even if

468
00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:06,080
Speaker 3: and when the mayor raises people's taxes on Wednesday, everybody

469
00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:08,760
Speaker 3: across the board, she raised it on commercial, she raised

470
00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:12,920
Speaker 3: them on residence. Even despite all that, our legislation will

471
00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:19,160
Speaker 3: be able to provide relief to residents who own homes

472
00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:23,520
Speaker 3: through mitigating the spikes that would come in the new year,

473
00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:27,720
Speaker 3: if if they're going to see a bump and a jump,

474
00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:35,160
Speaker 3: and the other proposal that would provide the authority to

475
00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,840
Speaker 3: issue rebates to all homeowners in Boston, and that's what

476
00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:41,880
Speaker 3: should happen, but give them their money back.

477
00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:45,000
Speaker 2: Is the mayor going to sign off on that? I

478
00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:47,360
Speaker 2: assume that she controls that.

479
00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:51,320
Speaker 3: Well, once they get the authority, then it's up to

480
00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:54,760
Speaker 3: the mayor to execute as executive.

481
00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:57,120
Speaker 2: So you think that you can get that authority at

482
00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:00,400
Speaker 2: the state House for the mayor, h but then the

483
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:01,840
Speaker 2: question the mayor.

484
00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:05,239
Speaker 3: But for municipal leaders across the state, question why we

485
00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:06,920
Speaker 3: have support? Because this is not a go and a

486
00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:11,920
Speaker 3: loan stravet. So you buy that's what tom Anino did?

487
00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:14,640
Speaker 3: You know? Two they tried to compare themselves to Tomino?

488
00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:18,600
Speaker 3: How many to cut the budget? He had furloughs for employees,

489
00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:23,600
Speaker 3: he froze hiring, and he left the budget at two

490
00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:27,760
Speaker 3: percent below the two and a half two percent and

491
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:31,440
Speaker 3: went to his colleagues and asked the legislature for a

492
00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:35,160
Speaker 3: statewide authorization for an option. That's not how it happened here.

493
00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:40,160
Speaker 3: This is we need this, This is the only possible

494
00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:43,240
Speaker 3: solution that I'm not going to talk about for a

495
00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:47,040
Speaker 3: year and then in December, I'm going to bring it up. Yeah,

496
00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:52,240
Speaker 3: the only solution that never got brought up here. Yeah,

497
00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:56,040
Speaker 3: but we went we were proactive, particularly after last year,

498
00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:59,320
Speaker 3: and we found legislation right away in January and we're

499
00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:01,520
Speaker 3: moving on it. We'll spect you have some action in

500
00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:06,320
Speaker 3: the next uh coming gaze to report back, and I

501
00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:09,120
Speaker 3: think it's going to be a real option for misfile

502
00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:11,800
Speaker 3: leaders of a ticic of Boston to provide relief. We

503
00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:12,360
Speaker 3: hope they do.

504
00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:14,440
Speaker 2: Okay, we've got to take a quick break here and

505
00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:16,800
Speaker 2: we'll be back with some phone calls. If you have

506
00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:21,720
Speaker 2: a question here, if you're if you're a Boston taxpayer, homeowner,

507
00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:26,200
Speaker 2: brace yourself. Six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty

508
00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:29,400
Speaker 2: six one seven, nine, three ten thirty. Coming back on

509
00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:33,200
Speaker 2: Nightside with Nick Collins, Massachusettstates senator represents about half the

510
00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:35,480
Speaker 2: city of Boston. Coming back on Nightside.

511
00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:39,640
Speaker 1: You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w BZ,

512
00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:41,600
Speaker 1: Boston's news radio.

513
00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:47,880
Speaker 2: Joined tonight this hour by Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins.

514
00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:51,040
Speaker 2: Senator Collins represents about half of the city of Boston,

515
00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:57,760
Speaker 2: and he is predicting some shocking numbers for Boston homeowners.

516
00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:01,280
Speaker 2: Uh in the next in the next few weeks, let

517
00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:03,320
Speaker 2: me get a call with two in here. If I

518
00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:08,680
Speaker 2: can Phil lives in Boston. Phil, It's it's gonna get

519
00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:11,120
Speaker 2: interesting here in the next few weeks. You're all with

520
00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:13,360
Speaker 2: State Senator Nick Collins. Have you got a question of

521
00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:14,520
Speaker 2: a comment or right ahead?

522
00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:17,680
Speaker 4: First of all, thank you mister Collins for addressing the situation.

523
00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:21,440
Speaker 4: It's unbelievable. I thought everyone's supposed to get along and

524
00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:25,120
Speaker 4: they give one happy in the state and the city begatless.

525
00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:28,040
Speaker 4: The bottom line is is Prop two and a half

526
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,760
Speaker 4: and I'm want into the number of stuff, but it's

527
00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:34,400
Speaker 4: Prop too in the hospital? Does that my taxes were

528
00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:36,120
Speaker 4: not the past year or two it's stuck it in.

529
00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,120
Speaker 4: There were no big deal, but the valuation went up. Therefore,

530
00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:41,840
Speaker 4: I said, was point, what the heck it is? It

531
00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:44,840
Speaker 4: will not say maybe a hundred bucks a quarter. Now

532
00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:47,880
Speaker 4: you're telling me, is this seven and a half percent

533
00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,440
Speaker 4: plus the twenty percent? And is this going to continue

534
00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:55,440
Speaker 4: and continue and continue? You can't. You can't answer that question.

535
00:32:55,520 --> 00:33:00,880
Speaker 3: But question, well, it shouldn't continue. And there's two ways

536
00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:04,760
Speaker 3: to approach it one. You absolutely have a right in

537
00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:08,000
Speaker 3: the beginning of the year to appeal, and what I

538
00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:10,280
Speaker 3: would recommend is that people do that. They appeal the

539
00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:13,720
Speaker 3: overvaluation of your home. That's the hidden tax that doesn't

540
00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:15,920
Speaker 3: even get a vote to the city council. That's just

541
00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:18,720
Speaker 3: e to b right out of the assessor's office. They

542
00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:22,360
Speaker 3: make the call and they make you challenge them. But

543
00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:24,480
Speaker 3: that's the laws that stands. We're looking at trying to

544
00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:26,960
Speaker 3: amend that to give people more time and to not

545
00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:33,280
Speaker 3: pay on the new uniliterally determined valuation, but the old

546
00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:36,520
Speaker 3: one while you appeal, because otherwise it's the runaway train

547
00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:39,160
Speaker 3: and it shouldn't be that way. And that's what we've

548
00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:41,960
Speaker 3: been seeing. Last year was a real good example. But

549
00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,520
Speaker 3: it is about combination. You got it of a rate

550
00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:48,800
Speaker 3: increase and then a valuation increase. Now the mayor is

551
00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:51,480
Speaker 3: saying to the public that it's a two percent on

552
00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:54,280
Speaker 3: average increasing valuation. They said the same thing last year.

553
00:33:54,800 --> 00:34:00,000
Speaker 3: That's not true. The average or the mean has outliers

554
00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:02,720
Speaker 3: on the book ends, on the high side, on the

555
00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:04,880
Speaker 3: low side that throw off what the real number is.

556
00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:09,200
Speaker 3: So looking at the median. That's my Boston Latin school math. Dan.

557
00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:13,400
Speaker 2: By the way, Oh yeah, I'm oppressed. You are oppressed ahead.

558
00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:15,600
Speaker 3: You know, medi your median number is that we'll never

559
00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:18,239
Speaker 3: to look at. So last year, for instance, while the

560
00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:23,640
Speaker 3: city saying two percent increase in valuations, my district Stealth End,

561
00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:30,040
Speaker 3: Stealth Boston, Dorchester, Rock Free, ten twelve percent increases, that's

562
00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:34,799
Speaker 3: the same. So that combined with a rate increase, that's

563
00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:37,759
Speaker 3: what you get your you have to built. So the

564
00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:41,560
Speaker 3: valuations whenever, they never really escalated that love like that.

565
00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:43,759
Speaker 2: But but let me let me just jump in a

566
00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:47,200
Speaker 2: second to keep in check with you. Let me jump

567
00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:50,600
Speaker 2: in for a second. Look. If the valuations go up,

568
00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:55,600
Speaker 2: then the text rate should go down, because if all

569
00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:58,960
Speaker 2: of a sudden, the value of the home that you

570
00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:03,280
Speaker 2: know that everybody he has in order to stay within

571
00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:06,880
Speaker 2: that two and a half percent which is mandated, you

572
00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:12,600
Speaker 2: can't both you know, raise the valuations and also then

573
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:15,759
Speaker 2: raise the tax rate. That's crazy. If you're gonna if

574
00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:18,839
Speaker 2: the valuation is going up, the tax rate should go down.

575
00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:20,440
Speaker 2: Am I right or wrong on that?

576
00:35:21,719 --> 00:35:21,959
Speaker 1: Well?

577
00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:24,480
Speaker 3: I mean you you hit on the on the on

578
00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:27,520
Speaker 3: what's happening when when you're when you think that you're

579
00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:30,640
Speaker 3: getting the sembls an increase. That sounds rough, but you

580
00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:34,279
Speaker 3: combine that with an increase in the valuation. I mean,

581
00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:39,520
Speaker 3: to Dan's point, even at the same tax rate, evaluation

582
00:35:39,719 --> 00:35:43,759
Speaker 3: increase is a tax will increase. So you shouldn't be

583
00:35:43,760 --> 00:35:46,480
Speaker 3: getting double whacked. And at least in one case, the

584
00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:49,520
Speaker 3: council's voting on one of them on the rate, they're

585
00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:52,439
Speaker 3: not voting on the valuation increase. And that's wrong.

586
00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:58,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, Phil, we'll we'll stay on top of this,

587
00:35:58,680 --> 00:35:59,160
Speaker 2: I promise.

588
00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:03,120
Speaker 4: So I appreciate you want a good job, miss uh.

589
00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:04,560
Speaker 2: Center.

590
00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:05,640
Speaker 3: Yeah.

591
00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:05,719
Speaker 2: No.

592
00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:08,160
Speaker 3: And the appeal process you should think about in the

593
00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:10,320
Speaker 3: new year. Yea. At some point you're gonna get a

594
00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:11,759
Speaker 3: letter on the MEI saying hey, this is what your

595
00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:14,200
Speaker 3: new value is. And if it seems like you get

596
00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:18,400
Speaker 3: a leaky roof, leaky basement, the leaky toilet and somehow

597
00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:22,360
Speaker 3: you're probably valuing up, you could think twice about about

598
00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:25,280
Speaker 3: about applying for an appeal.

599
00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,920
Speaker 2: Yeah. That process your talking about is the abatement process.

600
00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:31,480
Speaker 2: And uh, it can be tough, but it can it

601
00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:34,239
Speaker 2: can be worth it, particularly if if they think, if

602
00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:38,120
Speaker 2: you think they have overvalued the how much money your

603
00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:41,960
Speaker 2: property is worth? Nick, give us what we should be

604
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,160
Speaker 2: looking for. We only got about a minute left. Give

605
00:36:44,239 --> 00:36:46,440
Speaker 2: us what people should be tuned into. I don't think

606
00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:48,719
Speaker 2: people are tuned into this yet, but they're going to

607
00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:51,360
Speaker 2: be tuned in when they get those tax bills in

608
00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:53,840
Speaker 2: the mail. That's why I wanted to talk about it tonight.

609
00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,080
Speaker 2: What should they be looking for the next couple of days,

610
00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:58,120
Speaker 2: certainly what the council does on Wednesday.

611
00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:03,080
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, it's likely that the city's going to vote

612
00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:09,280
Speaker 3: the mayor's proposal to increase taxes in Boston on property

613
00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:12,439
Speaker 3: owners to the maximum they possibly can, and it will

614
00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:17,400
Speaker 3: increase the rate on commercial property owners and residential property owners.

615
00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:20,800
Speaker 3: And what we'll be doing in the legislature is moving

616
00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:25,640
Speaker 3: bills to provide relief from that, leveraging the city's stockpiled

617
00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:30,560
Speaker 3: Rainy Day John Surplus Fund, and that can provide relate

618
00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:33,919
Speaker 3: to those who see spiked and for those property owns

619
00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:37,960
Speaker 3: across Boston who deserve their money backed. And I think

620
00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:40,120
Speaker 3: that we've seen it happen at the state level. A

621
00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:43,600
Speaker 3: number of years ago, we saw the city spend one

622
00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:46,880
Speaker 3: hundred and ten million on new housing for future residents,

623
00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:49,520
Speaker 3: and I think we can do the same for existing residents,

624
00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:52,640
Speaker 3: particularly when the city is looking to range their taxes.

625
00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:55,240
Speaker 2: All right, Nick Collins, thank you very much. If folks

626
00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:58,279
Speaker 2: want to get in touch with you, particularly constituents, what's

627
00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:00,640
Speaker 2: the easiest way for them to reach out to you.

628
00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:02,680
Speaker 2: I know you're gonna yep.

629
00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:05,239
Speaker 3: Yeah. My office is six one seven seven to two

630
00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:07,719
Speaker 3: one one five zero. My email is at Nick dot

631
00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:10,840
Speaker 3: Collins at MA Senate dot gob perfect.

632
00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:13,719
Speaker 2: Nick, appreciate it. Keep us posted on this, okay, and

633
00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:15,759
Speaker 2: we'll we'll try to stay on top of it as

634
00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,080
Speaker 2: best we can. Numbers are always tough on the radio,

635
00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:20,480
Speaker 2: but I think you've explained it pretty well. I thank

636
00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:22,000
Speaker 2: you so much for joining us tonight.

637
00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:24,200
Speaker 3: Jim Cool, we'll back take it.

638
00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:27,439
Speaker 2: Okay, thank you much. Okay, we'll take a break here,

639
00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:29,319
Speaker 2: and when we get back, we're going to talk with

640
00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:34,760
Speaker 2: Suffolk University Boston Globe poster. Suffolk University poster Dave Paley logus.

641
00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:38,560
Speaker 2: He's director of Suffolk University Political Research Center. New poll

642
00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:43,960
Speaker 2: which suggests that about a third of Massachusetts residents homeowners

643
00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:48,160
Speaker 2: of residents have said they have considered leaving Massachusetts in

644
00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:51,719
Speaker 2: the last year. Listen to this past hour and maybe

645
00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:54,239
Speaker 2: you under understand why coming back on Night's side right

646
00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:55,520
Speaker 2: after the ten o'clock news