Local communities claim money troubles, but Proposition 2 ½ overrides help limit property taxes

EASTON, Mass. — Like daffodils and tulips, signs for and against Proposition 2 ½ are popping up on lawns across Massachusetts this spring.

That’s the voter-approved law that limits increases in property taxes.

Many municipal leaders say their costs are spiraling out of control and they need more revenue.

Some homeowners say enough is enough and oppose any increases in their property taxes.

At the center of this debate is Prop 2 ½ itself: whether it’s outdated or the only thing keeping big hikes in check.

Easton is one of many communities holding a Prop 2 ½ override this spring.

When there is a big overnight emergency, Chief Keith Boone feels like he’s living on the edge of a cliff.

This past February a serious multi-movie accident in the wee hours of the morning stretched the department’s resources.

“When we’re running the midnight shift with an officer short, and we have an event like that, they’re on scene for multiple hours and there’s no one left to handle calls.”

Due to budget cuts over the last couple of years, the department is now short-handed. This comes at a time when the job of policing is getting more complicated.

Sexual assaults and mental health calls are particularly taxing.

“We’re averaging over 150 mental calls a year. You can’t just go in there and try to problem solve something for somebody in a few minutes and clear,” explained Boone.

Like most residential communities, Easton relies on property taxes to fund the majority of its services.

Since 1980, rate hikes in Massachusetts have been limited by Prop 2 ½.

It caps the increase of total property revenue annually at 2.5%, plus an additional amount from new construction.

Easton voters will be asked to override that cap on April 28th.

The override will include requests for $1.4 million for public safety and another $700,000 for public works.

Chief Boone added, “The perspective I have is we’re about 10 officers short of where we should have been anyway.”

Dan Pascucci is with Easton S.T.O.P or Stop Taxing Our People.

“I don’t like property tax overrides. I’ll never vote for one. Ever.”

He voted against a larger override last year and isn’t budging this time around.

“You’re not against public safety. You’re not trying to screw the town or anything, but you have to put food on your table first.”

Across the state, more and more communities are asking for overrides to avoid deep budget cuts.

In May, Brookline will ask voters for a record $24 million, mostly to maintain school programs and to avoid firefighter layoffs.

Brookline town administrator Charles Carey said, “We’re doing everything we can to keep costs down, but the reality of the situation is the things we can’t control for, like healthcare, are really busting the budget.”

Still, residents like Mona Blumstein are concerned about the way taxes are going up.

“We’re paying a lot in taxes now, it’s gone up, 36% in the last four years or five years.”

Earlier this year, Arlington voters approved an override of almost $15 million, while Winchester voters shot down one for $11.5 million.

The Massachusetts Municipal Association issued a report earlier this year highlighting what it sees as a perfect storm for the finances of the Bay State’s cities and towns.

When asked why it seems so many communities are broke, the association’s executive director Adam Chapdelaine said, “We have the costs of electricity, gas, and utilities, things that we can all relate to at home rising. And then just the general cost of inflation.”

He added that the state, through the unrestricted government aid formula, has not kept up with inflation.

When it comes to Prop 2 ½ he believes parts of it still service a purpose, “but that being said, the number itself, 2 ½%, I don’t believe that is any longer reflective of the realities of the cost environment.”

Paul Craney of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance said Prop 2 ½ still plays a huge role in keeping home ownership affordable.

“You have to remember, before Prop 2 ½ passed in 1980, Massachusetts had some of the highest property tax rates in the entire nation. When people got their property tax bill you could go to tears saying, ‘I’m going to have to move out of here.’”

He says today, it continues to give voters a voice in what services they want to support in their communities.

Those choices can be tough, particularly with rising prices and overall economic uncertainty.

“They keep going to the taxpayers and I run tight on money. I can’t keep running to the bank and say just give me more,” said Pascucci.

Cammy Brothers, a Brookline mother, said “if this doesn’t pass, I think it’s going to be really self-defeating for Brookline. We’re not the only family that moved here for the school system.”

Governor Maura Healey’s proposed budget for FY2027 includes an increase of 4.4% for local aid.

That’s short of what the Massachusetts Municipal Association would like, but the budget is still working its way through the legislature.

As for the reputation of “Taxachusetts”, the state now ranks in the middle of the pack nationally for property tax rates.

That’s far below New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut here in New England.

Massachusetts ranks higher for actual property tax because of the high price of real estate here.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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