Boston residents face the prospect of a 28% quarterly property tax increase if Mayor Michelle Wu’s plan to temporarily raise taxes on businesses doesn’t get approved in the state Senate.
The Massachusetts House on Monday approved the City of Boston's request to temporarily reconfigure the way it splits property taxes between commercial and residential taxpayers.
Norwell Rep. David DeCoste slowed the bill's advancement on Thursday and Friday but was not in the House chamber when Democrats put the bill up for a vote at the immediate outset of their 11 a.m. session and moved the legislation on to the Senate.
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The Senate met briefly last Monday but adjourned until Wednesday without acting on the bill, which reflects compromise language reached in October between Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and leaders of four business groups.
Wu has pushed for the bill's passage to mitigate the extent of coming increases in residential property taxes, while critics of the legislation say the city should pull back on its spending increases and be more mindful of potentially lasting commercial real estate struggles.
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Democrats were able to advance the bill during an informal session where there's no quorum and any legislator can stall a bill's progress.
House Republican Leader Bradley Jones Jr. was briefly in the chamber during Monday's session, which also featured Republican Reps. Steven Howitt and Donald Wong and Democrat Boston Reps. William MacGregor, Rob Consalvo, Jay Livingstone, and Dan Ryan.
Jones was not available to speak with the News Service before deadline.
"I'm just very grateful we were able to pass that today," Consalvo told reporters after session on Monday.
The Boston Democrat filed the home rule petition on behalf of Wu's administration twice.
"It's a hugely important issue for the city of Boston, hugely important for my constituents, we're literally receiving hundreds of phone calls. So just glad we were able to get it done, and now it's off to the Senate, and hopeful that they'll move on it expeditiously," he said.
Consalvo said he spoke with DeCoste over the weekend on the phone, and had a "very cordial conversation" about the Republican blocking the bill's passage.
"At the end of the day this is, like I said, for our constituents in Boston so important, and it's something that it has, to make sure we're keeping our property taxes as low as possible in the city, given this quirk that's happening this year," he said.
Mass. Senior Action, a local advocacy group, came to the State House Monday to urge representatives to pass the bill. They have been involved with advocating for the tax redistribution for months.
"We had been downstairs as folks were coming into the chambers to send them a strong message that this is something that will harm a lot of people, and particularly seniors on fixed incomes, and to urge passage of the bill," said Executive Director Carolyn Villers.
Amir Shahsavari, vice president of the Small Property Owners Association, sent out a statement criticizing the House vote after the bill's passage through the chamber.
"We are sorry to see the House pass this bill and hope the Senate will resist it, as it harms, small businesses and commercial owners," Shahsavari said. "It's like throwing ice water on the city's economy. We do not support Mayor Wu's bill as any tax should not be considered without budget cuts."
Republican Sen. Ryan Fattman, who was present in the Senate chamber during Monday's session did not explicitly say whether Republicans in that branch also planned to further delay the bill -- though he expressed "concerns."
"We'll see," he said. "I've heard a lot of concerns. A lot of people have reached out. Actually, surprisingly, some of my constituents who have business interests in Boston. You know, Boston's a little bit unique in that it's not your typical home rule petition. It affects a lot of people."
More on the Boston property tax bill
Sen. Nick Collins of South Boston, a Democrat, was also present for Monday's sparsely attended Monday session.
Asked by reporters if he and Collins talked about their mutual concerns about Wu's tax plan on Monday, Fattman replied that "there's a lot of concerns out there."
"I asked him what his thoughts are, and he was like, you know, there's just a lot of concerns out there, and I'm going to try to do my research in the next few days. Eat some turkey and stew on it," Fattman said.
Members of Mass. Senior Action crowded the hallway hoping to catch Collins on his way out of the Senate suite after Monday's session adjourned. Villers said some of the activists were his constituents and had been trying to connect with him about the tax bill for around a month.
Despite the fact that the Senate adjourned to meet again on Wednesday, Fattman said that if he were "a betting person" he would guess the Senate will not take up the bill before Thanksgiving.
Senate President Karen Spilka said the Senate will take up the bill Monday of next week to allow for more conversation.
