Mayor Michelle Wu's proposal to raise commercial tax rates is continuing to stir controversy in Boston, with many residents up-in-arms over the plan, which is expected to make drastic reductions to city services but provide homeowners with relief.
The mayor's proposal was already approved by the city council and the state house but it still needs to be approved by the senate and the governor by late November, and it has yet to win over all city leaders -- some of whom are now putting out alternative proposals.
The city council's Committee on Ways and Means held a virtual hearing Thursday morning to look at an alternate plan offered by councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy.
According to the mayor, if her plan is not passed, the average residential tax bill for a single-family home in the city would go from about $1,400 to $1,800 in January. If her plan is passed, people would still have to pay more but not nearly as much. The problem is small businesses could be the ones to suffer, business and real estate groups have said.
Flynn says it doesn't have to be this way.
"The city has disregarded a number of other alternative options recommended by fiscal watchdogs, relevant experts, the business community," Flynn said. "Instead we've continued to engage in an exercise of pitting whether the burden should be on residents or businesses. We've avoided working together on difficult issues with partners and stakeholders."
Wu disagrees with that assumption and has been holding town halls to further explain her plan, which is in direct response to the reducing commercial property values and commercial tax revenues most likely caused by the high office vacancy rates.
A majority of the city's budget comes from property taxes, so since residential real estate values have risen, homeowners would have to pay more in their property taxes to make up the difference.
NBC10 Boston caught up with the mayor at a town hall in West Roxbury on Wednesday, where she said there's been widespread support among residents.
"People know why this matters," Wu said. "I trust our legislators to advocate and respond with their constituents who share that something is important."
The mayor will hold another town hall at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Charlestown High School.
