Comments on: The Pittsburg Precedent http://www.somervillevoices.org/2009/11/19/schools-and-youth/the-pittsburg-precedent/ An independent, open forum for reports and opinions about life in our city. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:05:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Joe Beckmann http://www.somervillevoices.org/2009/11/19/schools-and-youth/the-pittsburg-precedent/comment-page-1/#comment-10225 Joe Beckmann Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:14:37 +0000 http://www.somervillevoices.org/?p=3736#comment-10225 There are state as well as constitutional issues involved in any mitigation of postsecondary tax free status (re: Dartmouth College case), but there are all sorts of vehicles to recoup costs incurred by municipal hosts of institutions offering housing and non-academic services to their students/guests/patients. Cambridge charges a differential water rate; many municipalities charge differential police and fire rates; many charge access fees for other services. The prospect of charging non-residents or other agencies for regionalized services is much more improbable, no matter what the Mayor might wish, since both precedent and constitutional issues would prevail. If you can afford to serve your residents, you can afford to serve others - it would be like charging other cities for police services if we arrest their residents. There are state as well as constitutional issues involved in any mitigation of postsecondary tax free status (re: Dartmouth College case), but there are all sorts of vehicles to recoup costs incurred by municipal hosts of institutions offering housing and non-academic services to their students/guests/patients. Cambridge charges a differential water rate; many municipalities charge differential police and fire rates; many charge access fees for other services. The prospect of charging non-residents or other agencies for regionalized services is much more improbable, no matter what the Mayor might wish, since both precedent and constitutional issues would prevail. If you can afford to serve your residents, you can afford to serve others – it would be like charging other cities for police services if we arrest their residents.

]]> By: Barry Rafkind http://www.somervillevoices.org/2009/11/19/schools-and-youth/the-pittsburg-precedent/comment-page-1/#comment-10224 Barry Rafkind Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:15:37 +0000 http://www.somervillevoices.org/?p=3736#comment-10224 Well that's an interesting idea! I'm not sure whether current law allows MA municipalities to levy new sales taxes without an act by the state legislature, like the recently approved local meals and hotel taxes. Collecting property taxes from Tufts might be more realistic and maybe even more lucrative. Whatever happened to the transfer tax you've mentioned previously that could help subsidize affordable housing? I think Somerville could benefit greatly from increased regionalization to share the cost of common programs. This is something Mayor Curtatone has called for, too. Well that’s an interesting idea! I’m not sure whether current law allows MA municipalities to levy new sales taxes without an act by the state legislature, like the recently approved local meals and hotel taxes. Collecting property taxes from Tufts might be more realistic and maybe even more lucrative. Whatever happened to the transfer tax you’ve mentioned previously that could help subsidize affordable housing?

I think Somerville could benefit greatly from increased regionalization to share the cost of common programs. This is something Mayor Curtatone has called for, too.

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