September 27, 2006 GAC Update
The Council met on Monday and passed the Tax Rate for 2007. During this discussion, the Manager noted that the Council may be asked to address the Personal Property Tax treatment of Research and Development equipment. The Council also recognized NSTAR and the Boy Scouts for an energy efficient light bulb fundraising sale and passed an Order urging Cambridge residents to participate in “Change a Light Day on October 4.
The Alewife, a newspaper covering North Cambridge, is sponsoring a candidates’ night for the 24th Middlesex State House seat tomorrow evening.
The Cambridge Fire Department asked the Chamber to make you aware of a rash of thefts of copper and brass in the community.
The GAC met yesterday to discuss the direction of the Committee. A full report will be sent to GAC members later this week. Thank you to all who attended.
Upcoming GAC Events
The 2006 Government Affairs program is sponsored by Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research.
Robert Culver Addresses October GAC/Executive Speaker Luncheon
MassDevelopment President and CEO Robert Culver will discuss MassDevelopment’s efforts to spur economic growth in the Commonwealth, MassDevelopment’s work in Cambridge, and the latest on the new Bristol-Myers Squibb pharmaceutical manufacturing facility and other developments at Devens. The Luncheon will be held on Tuesday October 24, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, 575 Memorial Drive, Cambridge.
Start Time: 11:30 a.m.
End Time: 1:30 p.m.
Members: $40.00, Non-members: $80.00
Prices require registration and payment at least two business days in advance.
$10 additional thereafter.
Find out more at: www.cambridgechamber.org/involved/viewevent.html?id=159
Congressman Capuano to Address November GAC Meeting
Congressman Michael Capuano will be our guest at the November GAC meeting. The Best Western Hotel Tria will host the meeting at noon on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 The Hotel Tria is located at 220 Alewife Brook Parkway. The Tria offers slightly more space than is available at the Chamber’s Conference Room but space is still limited so RSVP early for this meeting by e-mailing tsmith@cambridgechamber.org or phoning (617) 876-4213.
September 25, 2006 City Council Meeting
The Council passed the tax rate, thanked NSTAR, and called for residents to change light bulbs on October 4.
2007 Tax Rate Set
On Monday the Council passed the tax rate for Fiscal Year 2007 which will be sent to the State Department of Revenue for final approval. The rates are:
Residential $ 7.48
Commercial $18.30
The rates are a 3.96% increase from last year. During the budget process the City Manager projected a 5.5% increase. The increase was lessened by revenue increases, use of $1 million of Free Cash, additional revenue from parking fines, and increased State aid over what was projected.
Improvements in the Commercial real estate market coupled with a slower residential market will result in a greater percentage of property tax revenues coming from the commercial sector. In FY 2007 commercial property owners will pay 63.4% of the property tax levy, a slight increase from last year when commercial paid 63.2%.
In his report the City Manager notes that the City has set aside funds to address debt from projects that will begin soon including the expansion of the Main library, the new Police Headquarters, and the West Cambridge Youth and Community Center. The Manager reports that the City maintains its AAA Bond Rating and he also noted in discussion that the Cities debt as a percent of total assessment is .7 of one percent. The mean for AAA Bond Rated cities is .9 of one percent.
The Manager’s Report is available at 2007 Tax Rate.
R&D Personal Property Tax
Under Massachusetts State law manufacturing equipment is exempt from the Personal Property tax. This exemption was created to encourage manufacturing in the State. As Research and Development (R&D) has grown as a significant part of the State’s economy life science and other technology companies have asked that the equipment used for R&D be treated like manufacturing equipment for personal property tax purposes. A provision in the Economic Stimulus package passed by the State Legislature in August allows Cities and Towns to choose to treat R&D equipment the same as manufacturing equipment for Personal Property Tax purposes.
This is a major issue for a number of life science companies in Cambridge. The Manager noted that this will require some reallocation of taxes if the Council chooses to approve this change. He also noted that other communities that receive no or little revenue from this tax can make this choice more easily than Cambridge.
Focus on Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
The Council opened the meeting with a Special Presentation recognizing NSTAR and the Cambridge boy Scouts for their compact fluorescent light bulb fund raising promotion held this past spring. NSTAR provided bulbs for the Scouts to sell. The Council also passed an order calling for Cambridge residents to participate in Change a Light Bulb Day on October 4, 2006 by replacing a standard incandescent light bulb with an energy efficient bulb.
On September 12 Councillor Davis held a hearing of the City Council's Cable TV, Telecommunications and Public Utilities Committee to discuss the campaign to increase compact fluorescent light bulbs entitled "Changing the World One Household at a Time." The focus of this meeting was finding ways to encourage people to replace most if not all of the lights in their homes with energy efficient lighting.
24th Middlesex Candidates Night
The Alewife is sponsoring a candidates’ night tomorrow, September 28 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Masonic Hall in Porter Square, 1950 Massachusetts Avenue.
The two candidates for the seat to replace State Representative Ann Paulsen, who announced she was not running for reelection earlier this year, are Republican Elizabeth "Libbie" Firenze and Democrat William N. Brownsberger. The moderator will be Baratunde J. Thurston, a Harvard graduate and the author of "Better than Crying," which, according to The Alewife, "skewered today’s politics and the press." The 24th Middlesex District includes North Cambridge, East Arlington, and Belmont.
The Alewife covers North Cambridge issues in a print edition and on-line and recently joined the Chamber.
Thefts of Copper and Brass Pipes
We recently received a request from the Cambridge Fire Department to help get the word out regarding this serious problem.:
Important Notice to All Property Owners and Property Management Companies
There have been numerous incidents of the theft of copper and brass pipes and building materials from buildings throughout the City of Cambridge. Of serious concern is the theft of the caps used to protect Fire Department Connections, Hose Valves, and Fire Pump Test Headers. In some instances, the entire valves and connections have been removed. These valves and connections are made of brass and many are chrome plated brass. The removal of these devices can have a serious negative impact on firefighting operations should a fire occur. Please inspect your property as soon as possible. If you observe any missing connections, please contact the Cambridge Police Department at (617) 349-3370 and the Cambridge Fire Department at (617) 349-4918.
