Here’s my recap of debates over the Citizen Petition Articles at this year’s Town Meeting. Read the full article → from Town Meeting: Voter compromises
Town Meeting: Voter compromises
PILOT
PILOT payments: Town Meeting Article and Officials discuss strategies (Updated)
Earlier today, I shared news about a potential project to bring a soccer stadium to Town. It dovetails with another story I was working on for this week. Read the full article → from PILOT payments: Town Meeting Article and Officials discuss strategies (Updated)
BOS meeting recap: 9-11 Field roadblocks, public records policy, taxes and more (Updated)
There were no major controversies at Monday night’s Board of Selectmen meeting. But there were a lot of interesting tidbits including roadblocks to re-turfing a town field and discussion of a public records request policy. Read the full article → from BOS meeting recap: 9-11 Field roadblocks, public records policy, taxes and more (Updated)
Analysis of PILOT contributions in Southborough
Last week, chatter in blog comments referred to what some see as insufficient PILOT contributions by the private schools in town. Read the full article → from Analysis of PILOT contributions in Southborough
Selectman Rooney speaks out on PILOT contributions
If you watched Channel 5 news, last Friday you might have seen a familiar face. Southborough Selectman John Rooney was interviewed for a story on tax exempt organizations and efforts by some towns — Southborough included — to collect what they say the tax exempts owe. Read the full article → from Selectman Rooney speaks out on PILOT contributions
Selectmen talk PILOT donations with state rep
Payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) contributions – voluntary donations made to the town by tax-exempt nonprofit institutions – has been a hot topic on the blog this past week. Last night John Rooney and his fellow selectmen reiterated their stance on PILOT contributions: It’s all about fairness. Read the full article → from Selectmen talk PILOT donations with state rep
Rooney asks St. Mark’s and Fay to contribute more
Selectman John Rooney thinks it’s time for the non-profits in town to step up. With the backing of the Board of Selectmen, Rooney recently asked both St. Mark’s and Fay School to increase their payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) donations to help cover the cost of town services they use, and to compensate for the loss of property tax revenue on residential property owned by the schools. Read the full article → from Rooney asks St. Mark’s and Fay to contribute more
PILOT contributions in Southborough fall short of other towns
The fact that St. Mark’s School doesn’t pay property taxes to the town has been a topic of conversation lately here on the blog. It’s anything but a new subject. We’ve talked about it before, and a year ago the town put together a committee to look at the voluntary contributions St. Mark’s and the other big non-profits in town — Fay School, The New England School for Children, and Harvard University — make to the town. Read the full article → from PILOT contributions in Southborough fall short of other towns
Harvard donates $50K toward new ladder truck
Harvard University has pledged $50K over three years toward the purchase of a new aerial ladder truck – a purchase that was approved at special town meeting this past September. Read the full article → from Harvard donates $50K toward new ladder truck
Fay donates $100K toward new public safety building
Earlier this summer Fay School committed $100K over 10 years toward the purchase of a new ladder truck for the town. In a letter to the Municipal Facilities Committee last week, Fay pledged another $100K over 10 years toward a new public safety facility. “Fay School values the safety of all members of the Southborough Read the full article → from Fay donates $100K toward new public safety building
Report: Ten percent of Southborough property is tax-exempt
The Metrowest Daily News did an article on PILOT contributions in Metrowest towns, Southborough included. The article presents some interesting figures I haven’t seen elsewhere: Southborough has $2.2 billion worth of taxed properties and $243 million worth of tax-exempt properties. If I did my math right — all those zeros make me dizzy — that means Read the full article → from Report: Ten percent of Southborough property is tax-exempt
Advisory Committee proposes linking PILOT agreements to new construction
Over the past several months, selectmen have met with nonprofits in an attempt to boost their contributions to the town. While some of the discussions have borne fruit — mostly in donations to the ladder truck fund — selectmen still consider the relationship between the town and its nonprofits inequitable. Last week selectmen formed a committee Read the full article → from Advisory Committee proposes linking PILOT agreements to new construction
Committee formed to research PILOT donations
The Boston Globe today has an article on PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) donations by nonprofits, and it focuses largely on Southborough. Of note, here’s a quote from a Fay School spokeswoman that I’m sure you’ll appreciate: The Fay School feels an obligation to be a good citizen of Southborough. To meet that obligation, Read the full article → from Committee formed to research PILOT donations
Fay makes contribution to ladder truck fund, but does away with annual PILOT
At their meeting on Tuesday night, Selectman Bill Boland announced that Fay School has decided to match St. Mark’s $100,000 donation toward the purchase of a new ladder truck for the town. Great news, right? Yes. And no. Fay will donate $10,000 over the next ten years, all earmarked for the ladder truck. The problem Read the full article → from Fay makes contribution to ladder truck fund, but does away with annual PILOT