Although the Massachusetts Department of Revenue allows municipalities to set multiple commercial tax rates (ie. mil rates), only one residential mil rate is permitted. A local option to have more than one residential mil rate would be more sensible. This would provide more local control to municipalities over their primary source of funding and a greater degree of fairness for different types of residential property (eg. single family, multi-family, condominium).

Using condominiums as an example, most complexes are considered private property in their entirety and are not provided with services such as the following: Road Plowing & Repair Services; Roadside Sidewalk Plowing & Repair Services; Street Lighting; Street Catch Basins; Street Drainage & Sewage Lines; Fire Hydrant Maintenance, Marking & Snow Clearance; and Trash Hauling, Bulk Pick-up & Yard Waste Services

At the same time, individual owners in these communities are assessed property taxes on the same basis as all other residential taxpayers who do get the above services. Municipalities have no other choice but to do so due to the state mandate of only one residential rate, as well as the fact that assessed values for all residential property must be based on full market value.

If you support my logic, I encourage you to contact the candidates for state representative and state senator in your district and ask them how they’d “get the job done.” They are our voices in Boston when it comes to limiting unfair state mandates such as this one. Nicholas Boldyga and Rosemary Sandlin are the candidates to be Agawam, Southwick and Granville’s representative. Donald Humason and Jerome Parker O’Grady are the state senate candidates in the 2nd Hampden District, including Agawam. Eric Lesser & James Harrington are the candidates in the 1st Hampden District.

Brian D. Halla
Agawam