Charlene Galenski’s Feb. 26 letter [“All Deerfield taxpayers see increases“] was well-written and timely. If you haven’t read it, please do.
Massachusetts taxpayers successfully voted into law Proposition 2 ½ back in 1980. At the time taxpayers were fed up with large property tax increases and the law sought to provide some measure of relief.
If you’ve owned property in Deerfield for some time, you’ve seen substantial property tax increases in recent years due to tax overrides and market valuation increases. The fact that your home is worth more than it was a few years ago does not mean you have more cash on hand. When property tax increases begin to overtake income growth, it’s a recipe for trouble. Our society is aging and many of the older property tax owners in Deerfield are among those whose incomes are not keeping pace with their property tax increases, let alone the cost of utilities, food, insurance, and medical care.
Override measures, which seem to be popping up quite frequently in recent years, are a means of navigating around Proposition 2 ½, but I don’t think they should be used to fund projects that are not absolutely necessary. Households and businesses must sometimes make difficult spending decisions, and sometimes communities must simply say no to large non-vital spending projects. Deerfield is once again considering an override, this time pertaining to Senior Center spending.
If you aren’t happy with your continually increasing taxes, it’s important to show up and vote at town meetings. My personal opinion is that if a majority of all taxpayers are content with voting to raise their taxes, I can live with the outcome. Often, however, new spending projects and overrides are voted on by only a minority of taxpayers.
If you own property in Deerfield, please show up and vote at the Town Meeting and ask your neighbors to do the same.
William Hamer
Deerfield