I like to look at the Westfield Community Forum Facebook page to see what activities are going on in Westfield, to check out what is going on if my electricity is off, and to check out lost pets in case I come across one when I’m out walking. The Forum can make me feel as if I belong.
Lately I have been not looking at Facebook Westfield Community Forum posts because they are causing me to question the accuracy of the information that I am being provided. Several Forum posts say that Westfield is in a crisis. We are living beyond our means, I am told, and that city services must be cut as there is no money to pay for them. If that is so, then why did the city’s bond rating improve? The Forum Posts say Westfield’s property taxes are too high. I did a little research through the Department of Revenue (DOR) webpage to see how our average tax bill ranked alongside other municipalities. According to DOR there are 162 communities (out of 351) that have a higher average residential tax bill than Westfield and 189 that have a lower average tax bill. Westfield may be in the middle, but most of those with lower average tax bills have fewer city-provided services. Forum posts complain that Westfield’s commercial rate is one of the highest in the state. I looked that up in the Boston Business Journal, which indicated they based their information on the DOR. It seems that only Holbrook, Pittsfield, Holyoke, Springfield and North Adams have a higher commercial tax rate than Westfield. Boston is ranked 59th and Chilmark at $2.94 per thousand of value is ranked the lowest. Does that mean that a restaurant in Boston or Chilmark pays lower taxes than the same size restaurant in Westfield or North Adams? I don’t think so. It seems to me that what counts for the taxpayer is not the tax rate but the tax bill! To calculate the bill, both the assessed value and the tax rate are to be considered. Communities with lower property values (cities in Western Massachusetts vs. those in the Boston area) must have higher tax rates to generate the same tax bill. Again, what really counts is how much you pay, not how high the rate is.
To keep myself sane in a world where some residents believe the Westfield Community Forum is the source of truth, my plan is not look at the Forum until after the local election. I will, however, continue to read two newspapers daily…the Westfield News and the Republican, get my TV news from our local channels, and attend the candidates’ forums sponsored by the Westfield News and Chamber of Commerce hosted at our beautiful new Senior Center.
I hope others follow this plan as well. Our wonderful Westfield depends on informed voters.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Martin
