How Much Will The Braintree Debt Exclusion Cost You In Taxes?

BRAINTREE, MA — Town officials have scheduled a special election for March 28 where residents will decide whether to approve a $63 million debt exclusion to pay for a new South Middle School, a feasibility study on Braintree High School and other school improvements.

In Massachusetts, cities and towns can't raise property taxes more than 2.5 percent without voter approval. A debt exclusion allows a community to raise money above the limit to take on debt for specific purposes. In this case, Braintree residents would foot the bill of additional property taxes for the next 30 years.

To help residents see how much their property taxes will increase, town officials posted a debt exlusion calculator on the Braintree town website. Residents can get an estimateon how much their property taxes would increase by entering their address.

Mayor Charles Kokoros at a Town Council meeting last month broke down the money by project with the majority of the exclusion, $55.6 million, covering the construction of a new South Middle School. Other projects include:

• $5 million to replace roofs at five elementary schools
• $1.5 million for a feasibility study on redeveloping Braintree High School
• $1 million for school security improvements district-wide.

Former Mayor Joseph Sullivan had originally proposed borrowing $85.5 million and using the $31 million the town received from the Massachusetts School Building Authority to repay the loans. Sullivan said the town could pay for the school within its own operating budget. But this plan was withdrawn last month because Kokoros concluded the town cannot fund a new middle school within Braintree's existing operating budget.

"The only way I see to do it in a fiscally responsible way is a debt exclusion ..."Kokoros said."This is something I've been working on since the Wednesday after I got elected."

Read more on the proposed debt exclusion here:

• Braintree Debt Exclusion To Cost $63 Million Over 30 Years: Mayor
• Mayor Calls For Debt Exclusion To Pay For New South Middle School