Middleboro: Property Valuations

Questions have arisen regarding property tax abatements and specifically property abutting the proposed casino.

Since the answer is rather lengthy, allow me to offer some quick thoughts, but others will add additional considerations surely.

Tax Abatements may be filed when you receive your first real estate tax bills which should be in October if the bills are mailed on time.

Since the Middleboro BOS have failed to mail real estate tax bills on time for the last two years, an abatement needs to be filed by the first payment due date.

Abatement Forms are available on the town's web site and include instructions.

When you are denied an abatement, you have a right to file an appeal with the Appellate Tax Board. Instructions and forms are available on line: ATB

You will then receive notification of a hearing date.

Among the issues you might include:

1. Noise which needs to include additional commuter rail trains
2. Exhaust pollution
3. Traffic and congestion
4. Environmental degradation, which should probably include the eventual draw down of wells and light pollution
5. Crime If you review the statistics, crime will increase during construction, but will increase precipitously ~ 3 years after casino opening. Stats and studies available, but additional studies are available from officials in communities in CT you need to review.
6. Decline of school performance -- Most of us are aware of home sales that have been lost because of the current school performance. Most of us are aware of those forced to withdraw their children from Middleboro's schools and pay private school tuition. The introduction of non-English speaking children will propel the decline because of the town's inability to absorb the costs.
7. SCHOOLS ***
This is a BIGGIE. Middleboro schools are near capacity. Any increase will necessitate NEW school construction that collides with the state's 5 year lead time that Rep. Calter addressed.
The communities surrounding Foxwoods teach + 30 different languages. The little town of Clark, CT went from 2 ESL teachers to 100.
8. OUTFLUX
Although Steve Spartaro's comments about GENTRIFICATION were mostly unintelligible, the concept is mostly correct.
Higher income, better educated residents will leave.
High wage casino workers DO NOT live near the casinos.
9. Degardation of neighborhoods
Single family homes in the Montville, CT (host of Mohegan Sun) have experienced major problems with HUT HOUSES. Those are single family homes within walking distance of the casino that provide overcrowded housing for low wage workers.
The Cape has experienced comparable problems that they term HOT BUNKING.
Guest workers fill overcrowded houses, owners have little interest in maintaining properties. Neighborhoods are no longer designed for families and the few remaining families flee.
10. Historical failure of Middleboro to address fiscal issues will have disasterous consequences that impede the town's ability to respond.

While some are rolling their eyes and dreading consideration of the DULL & BORING money issues, this is much the same issue dismissed by those sub-prime mortgage borrowers who deny that the 12% or 15% mortgage they pay is meaningless, while others pay 5%.

The BOS in the town's charter are charged as Auditors, but have failed to address issues raised in the DOR Report or the previous Auditors' Reports. (both are available on nemasket posted in docs or the sidebar to the right)

As you might figure, MR could write endlessly about poor fiscal management the BOS has failed to address, but will refrain.

While they might proclaim lack of revenues and sputter and whine to distract you from their failures, sort through the buzzwords. And pay attention to this year's proposed solutions.

On the laundry list of proposals presented by the interim Town Manager was the use of the FAM (Financial Assurance Mechanism) account of ~ $700,000 and the $3 Million landfill settlement to fund CURRENT expenses.

Shortly after the $3 Million landfill settlement was announced, the School Department presented a RESTORATION BUDGET that was ~ $3 Million. Coincidence? And other department heads expanded their wish lists. Do you wonder why?

Several of us posted words to the effect that the $3 Million would be USED for current expenses. Those words were met with disbelief. Nahhhh!

That $3 Million represents bond funding that should be repaid.

Middleboro is going to fund EXPENSES yet again with ONE TIME REVENUES.

This STUFF is important to the bond markets and banks. It should be important to those who pay the bills.

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DID YOU HEAR THE WORDS ECONOMIZE OR CUTS?
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What might be suggested to those within close proximity of the proposed casino is several organized day trips to Connecticut. Take photos of those boarded up businesses and homes. Take photos of the lines of low wage workers being exploited and forced into overcrowded housing by casino employment.

Statistical information is available to confirm the decline of property values, but ensure that correction is included for economic anomalies.

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Any information acquired might be posted on nemasket for availibility to others.