“Cities and towns are facing a permanent fiscal squeeze, in which costs are rising faster than revenues,’’ said Michael Widmer, president of the foundation.
By David Riley, Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle / Gatehouse News Service
"We're at the highest percent of dependence statewide on the property tax since Proposition 21/2 was passed 30 years ago," Foundation President Michael Widmer said recently. "That's really because of the cuts in state aid."
As a result, property taxes are paying an ever-larger share of the cost of local government. The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation offered a similar explanation in a report late last year, also noting that new construction and other types of local receipts have dropped off during the recession.
