entering natick sign

entering natick sign

Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

  • Subscribe to daily email
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Summer Camp
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • Redhawks sports schedule & results
  • Embracing diversity
  • Charities/Community
  • Arts
  • Events
  • Kids
  • Business
  • Environment
  • Top 10 things to do
  • The Swellesley Report
  • Beyond Natick
  • History
  • Government
  • Seniors
  • Support independent journalism
  • Natick Nest articles
  • Fire & police scanner
  • Town Election 2023


Natick seniors would get new tax break option under this plan

August 13, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

A Natick committee that for 2 years has been studying the possibility of shifting the property tax burden of seniors to others is getting closer to getting an article before Town Meeting that could then trigger a referendum on the matter to be put before all town voters.

The Select Board was pitched this week (about 1 hour and 15 minutes into its meeting) by the Senior Property Tax Exemption Study Committee to sponsor such an article. Three Board members voted “Yes “and 2 abstained on the motion.

Select Board Sue Salamoff, chair of the study committee, said the group will work with town counsel to bring a cleaned up version of its proposed home rule petition to Town Meeting (see the current summary sheet and embedded below). The study committee will debrief on the Select Board meeting on Aug. 17.  It had previously gone before the Select Board at least 2 other times.

The impetus for the proposed property tax exemption would give seniors on fixed incomes and limited options to downsize a break on property taxes in light of Natick’s assessed property values skyrocketing with no slowdown in sight. Natick has seen other communities, such as Sudbury and Wayland, take similar action.

The study committee’s current summary sheet describes its mission:

The goal of a senior property tax exemption is to have seniors pay no more than 10% of their income in real estate tax. This is the same goal that underlies the MA Circuit Breaker Credit applied for on an individual’s personal income tax return. If after applying for and receiving the maximum CB credit (currently $1,150 in 2020), a senior’s real estate tax bill still exceeds 10% of qualifying income, Natick seniors would be able to apply for a Natick credit to further reduce the gap.

The town would set aside a pool of money to cover the credits, and it would come from raising others’ taxes.

Salamoff said the committee revisited its work after the last time it met with the Board, and has found that the property value situation “has become substantially worse.” The proposal would put the exemption in place for 3 years and would require a new Town Meeting vote to extend the program.

Challenged by Board member Michael Hickey about whether the program would be feasible, committee members said it would be, based in part on what they’ve seen from other communities. Though committee member Patricia Sciarra did say it was difficult to figure out how many people would actually use such a program.

Sciarra noted that other options are already available for seniors. This includes a way to defer property taxes by taking out loans based on their home equity.

Natick lists a series of tax relief options, including the circuit breaker and work-off program, on its town website.

Despite such options, Board member Paul Joseph said “We’ve got an. affordability challenge in Natick,” and that coming up with new ways to address the situation is a Board obligation.

One big question is whether those who would have more of the tax burden shifted to them, even as Natick faces the prospect of tax overrides in coming years, will bite. Board Chair Karen Adelman-Foster, who abstained on vote, said she feels uncomfortable making such tax exceptions on an ad hoc basis rather than as part of a longer-term financial plan.


Subscribe to our Natick Report daily email


Download (PDF, 81KB)

Download (PDF, 81KB)

Download (PDF, 81KB)

Filed Under: Government, Seniors

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Advertisements





Tip us off!

Please send news tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

If you’d like to contribute $ to support our independent journalism venture, please do….

Advertisements

Categories

  • Animals
  • Art
  • Bacon Free Library
  • Beyond Natick
  • Books
  • Boston Marathon
  • Business
  • Camps
  • Charity/Fundraising
  • Charles River dam
  • Community
  • Construction
  • COVID-19
  • Education
  • Election
  • Embracing diversity
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Fashion
  • Firefighters
  • Food
  • Gardens
  • Government
  • Health
  • History
  • Holidays
  • Kids
  • Letters to the editor
  • Media
  • Military
  • Morse Institute Library
  • Music
  • Natick Election 2022
  • Natick Historical Society
  • Natick History Museum
  • Natick Nest
  • Natick track
  • Neighbors
  • Obituaries & remembrances
  • Opinion
  • Outdoors
  • Parents
  • Police & crime
  • Real estate
  • Recycling Center
  • Religion
  • Restaurants
  • Schools
  • Seniors
  • Shopping
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Theater
  • Town election 2021
  • Town Election 2023
  • Transportation
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Vacation
  • Veterans
  • Volunteering
  • Voting
  • Weather
lion publishers
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Get our email newsletter

* indicates required
Our newsletter is free, though we gladly accept contributions to support our work.

Most Read Posts

  • '60 Minutes' segment on Natick couple's harassment by eBay execs airing Sunday, March 26
  • One high school student’s push to save Natick ballroom hidden in plain sight
  • Natick business buzz: Mr. Nice Dog coming to Rte. 9; Dairy Queen is back; The Hive readies to reveal
  • Sign up now for summer camp in Natick (and beyond)
  • Natick's Wilson Middle school enriched with cafeteria composting program

Click image to read The Swellesley Report

The Swellesley Report

Upcoming Events

Apr 1
11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Fair in the Square, Wellesley

Apr 11
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Online meeting to address flooding in Natick

Apr 29
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Metrowest Rocks concert to benefit Actor’s Company of Natick

May 20
10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Supercar show

View Calendar

Pages

  • Letters to the editor on Natick Report
  • Guidelines for Natick Report letters to the editor
  • Natick election 2023—guidelines for promoting candidates and ballot questions
  • Natick’s 2023 Boston Marathon charity runners
  • Natick, Massachusetts libraries
  • Comment Policy
  • Bacon Free Library in Natick, hours for winter 2023
  • Morse Institute Library in Natick—hours for winter 2023
  • Resources for seniors in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick Report corrections policy
  • Scenic Roads in Natick
  • Where to stay in Natick, Mass. (hotels, inns)
  • Private Schools in Natick (and beyond)
  • Natick Summer Camps (and beyond)
  • Where to eat in Natick, Mass: more that 70 dining options
  • Natick, Mass., history
  • Natick government
  • Natick No-Nos
  • Embracing diversity in Natick
  • Where to worship in Natick
  • Kid stuff (sports, clubs, activities in Natick, Mass.)
  • Contribute to Natick Report
  • Natick Little Free Libraries
  • Natick public schools
  • Where to sled in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick COVID-19 & vaccine news
  • Natick’s zip code & post offices
  • Natick charitable and community action groups
  • Top 10 things to do in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick Arts/Entertainment
  • About Natick Report
  • Advertise on Natick Report
  • Natick rules: Chickens yes, roosters no
  • Natick Election 2023, political candidates advertising
  • Natick election 2022—candidate interviews

© 2023 Natick Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login