We Need to Lower the Tax Burden for Residents and Homeowners

This campaign has finally forced Amesbury to begin to discuss openly the fact that current leadership has brought our community to a dangerous fiscal cliff. Thus, all options must be considered, including potentially splitting the tax rate.

The plan to split our tax rate is nothing to be afraid of. One out of every three communities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a split tax rate. We are told that the only way to be fair with our taxes in Amesbury is to have the same rate between residential and commercial. However, looking at it from a statewide level, this is simply not true. The split tax rate trend is one that is growing, as more communities have it now than a few years ago. The bottom line is that Amesbury's residential homeowner tax rate ranking is higher statewide than it is for Amesbury's commercial and industrial tax rate ranking. 

Thus, I propose splitting our tax rate to truly equalize our tax position on a statewide level between residential and commercial. 

Our residents and homeowners are the backbone of the community. We need to better stabilize the tax burden for residents first and foremost. More money in the pockets of residents and homeowners, combined with a comprehensive Amesbury business development plan, would actually be a boon for our business community as well. This is the idea of looking at our community at a holistic and comprehensive point of view and I am the only candidate who has the temperament, experience, as well as the willingness to do what is right to be able to bring Amesbury to the level of a fully comprehensive community development plan of action.