Southbridge’s Taxing Council Meeting

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Ken O’Brien

Several interesting things came out in the course oflast night’s presentation by Principal Town Assessor Wil Cournoyer as well asthe vote on the tax rate.
First and foremost was his observation that thenew tax rate of $18.47 per thousand was one percent less of an increasethan had been forecast in the Town Manager’s FY 2013 Budget Message. TheManager said he projected a tax rate increase of 4.2%* versus an actual increaseof 3.6%. Thus the difference was actually 0.6% 
So, kudos to Councilors McDonald and Vandal forbeing the only ones who voted against the budget last May.
Second, item number 12 on the council agenda was toincrease the budget by an overall amount of $100,000. Granted, the line item adjustmentswere specified. But, why couldn’t it be mandated to reduce the budget by aspecific overall amount, the line items to be adjusted and voted upon at alater time? In this regard I wish once again to raise myproposal for a bylaw to address this matter (even though in this case, itwould not have mattered).
Third, Mr. Cournoyer provided comparisons to otherlocal communities’ new tax rates:
Southbridge            $18.47 

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                                    Sturbridge                 17.95

Charlton                    12.30 
                                           Holland                     15.64

Dudley                      11.56

(Gee! He never did that before!)
So, once again we have the distinction of having thehighest tax rate in the local area.

All together now - We're Number One! We're Number One! We're Number One!...
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*I calculate the projected tax increase in the 2013 budget as a 4.8% increase over the 2012 actual.