property tax

Residents of a town in rural Dutchess County want answers about how a property-tax decrease went down another 50 percent in a town board budget process that left some councilmembers and community members in the dark. The decrease occurred under the previous administration in Stanford; and now the current one is investigating.

Senior citizen homeowners in the largest city in western Massachusetts may get some help paying their property tax bills.  

The Westchester County executive is pushing a proposal to bring in new revenue. In a move to combat a limited SALT deduction and a winnowing fund reserve, the new funding stream would not raise property taxes.

A new report finds that even as the overall economy improves, cities and towns in Massachusetts are feeling a financial pinch. The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation released its 45th annual municipal finance report. 

WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with foundation president Eileen McAnney.

New property tax rates have been set in Springfield, Massachusetts.  For the first time in many years, the rates for both homeowners and business property owners have been reduced, as property values continue to recover from the Great Recession

Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Milne has unveiled an ambitious plan to cut per-pupil public school spending in Vermont by a third, and use the savings to pay for the state's young people to attend a Vermont college.

  Today's panelists are WAMC's Alan Chartock and University at Albany Journalism Professor and Investigative Reporter, Rosemary Armao. WAMC New Director, Ian Pickus also joins for part of today's conversation.

Topics include:
Eric Holder
Subway terror plot?
FBI director blasts Apple, Google for locking police out of phones
Derek Jeter
Property tax cap upheld

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has enlisted the aid of some local government leaders to promote his tax freeze proposal, which has been losing ground in the New York State legislature.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is starting a new push for his property tax freeze plan, while counties in the state say they have a better idea, which they say could result in lower property taxes in New York for even longer.

The  city of Springfield, Massachusetts will begin a new fiscal year on Monday July 1st with a balanced budget.  The conclusion this week of the annual budget debate in city hall left unresolved several issues that resonate beyond Springfield. 

       Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno praised the city council’s  12 to 2 vote to adopt a $572 million budget. He said it will maintain current municipal employment levels and keep core city services intact.

The city of Springfield Massachusetts is facing serious financial problems, again. The city's mayor and members of his finance team met in Boston Monday with the Speaker of the Massachusetts House and the State Senate President to appeal for help.  WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.