Select Board To Discuss Split Tax Rate Tonight

It's not the first time a split tax rate has been discussed by the Reading Select Board and it probably won't be the last. But tonight at Town Hall item 5C on the agenda is all about you and how much you pay in taxes to the town. It's also about Reading businesses and potentially asking them to shoulder more of the tax burden. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. with the tax discussion scheduled for approximately 8 p.m.

As Select Board member Barry Berman said on Facebook last week, "Reading is one of the last towns in our area which taxes commercial properties and residential properties at the same rate. With residential valuations exploding relative to commercial valuations, residential taxes have increased at a much higher velocity over the past 5 years. Shifting the tax rate does not increase the revenue to the town, just the composition of who pays. This issue came up constantly during the override debate. This is your first opportunity since the override to weigh in on this very important matter. Please come down and join the discussion and/or send your comments to selectmen@ci.reading.ma.us."

Many of our neighbors tax businesses at higher rates than residents. Berman plans to show how Reading compares to neighboring towns tonight. After the override, we'd all like to play less taxes. It's one thing to say let's tax Mobil, Shell, and Home Depot more but it's another to say Hitching Post, Aine's, and Whitelam Books, etc., should pay more. For Reading's small business community, any increase is too much.

Tonight the five members of the Select Board will continue the debate.