Concord’s Select Board should discontinue the recently adopted Residential Tax Exemption (RTE).
The RTE fundamentally changed Concord property taxation, further burdening higher-value properties to benefit moderate- to lower-valued residential properties. The goal was to offset the tax increase associated with the new middle school for owners of moderate- to lower-valued homes (properties below $2.1 million in assessed value). The result was a shift of $6 million to $7 million in property taxes to higher-valued properties, properties that already accounted for a large percentage of town property tax.
This shift in taxes is short-sighted and unfair. The rationale frequently cited is high-value property owners can afford more taxes. That is not a basis for changing our longstanding property tax structure, based on relative value, not ability to pay. Significant changes to taxing should be subject to a ballot vote, not just Select Board approval.
Supporters of the RTE say it will help retain Concord’s economic diversity and keep longtime citizens from leaving town due to high property taxes. Those are desirable goals, but unfairly shifting taxes to other property owners is not the way to achieve these aims. The RTE is an ineffective, divisive solution; the real issues making Concord unaffordable are our almost complete reliance on property tax to fund town services and little appetite to limit spending.
Increasing the commercial tax base, forcing trade-offs before funding new services, and prioritizing “needs” from “wants” is the hard work we continue to avoid. Without addressing those issues, we just keep kicking the tax can down the road.
Christine Reynolds
Concord Republican Town Committee
Captain Miles Lane
