"Northampton Boards united to oppose Question 1"

DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE

Northampton boards unite to oppose Question 1
By BOB FLAHERTY and CHAD CAIN
Staff Writers

Saturday, October 18, 2008

NORTHAMPTON - Two city panels Thursday endorsed a resolution that urges voters to defeat a Nov. 4 ballot measure that would repeal the state income tax over the next two years.

City officials say elimination of the income tax would lead to drastic cuts and have crippling effects on city services.

"We know the local aid is going to be bad next year," said Mayor Clare Higgins, who brought the resolution to the City Council Thursday.

"We're going into a rocky year anyway. This would make it a disaster."

The School Committee also approved the resolution, which calls Question 1 "reckless and dangerous to the common good."

Co-written by at-large School Committee member Lucy Hartry and Ward 4 City Councilor David Narkewicz, the resolution states that revenue from state income tax accounts for 25 percent of the current general fund budget and 24 percent of the school budget.

If the measure passes, the resolution states, there would be "massive cuts to cities and towns across the state," hindering communities ability to "provide adequate police and fire protection, public works, public education, recreation and senior services."

Opponents also dispute the claims of Question 1 proponents that the measure would give back an average of $3,700 to every taxpayer: "In reality the average income tax payment for the 2.15 million taxpayers with incomes below $50,000 is less than $850."

"I wholeheartedly endorse this resolution," said Ward 5 School Committee member Stephanie Pick. "I can't even imagine what our community will look like."

Ward 6 member Lisa Minnick said there would be many hidden costs with Question 1 - and lasting misery. "People think they'll be unscathed by this," she said. "If this happens, it'll come back to bite 'em."

At the council meeting, Higgins said the city could lose close to $10 million in state aid if the income tax is abolished, more than 10 percent of its budget. Higgins laid out several scenarios to give councilors a sense of scope of the potential aid loss: closing the city's three municipal buildings and laying off all employees would save about half of the expected loss in revenue. She noted that there are several areas of the budget that by law must be funded.