Can Grafton start a municipal assault against Proposition 2 1/2?

Ray Mead wants the town of Grafton to lead the way in an overthrow of Proposition 2 1/2.

“Overrides cost so many towns more money than a revamp of Proposition 2 1/2,” said the newest Select Board member, who said he brought up the matter with state Rep. David Muradian during Town Meeting earlier this month.

Select Board members were in agreement that the 1980 ballot initiative, which  puts a 2 1/2 percent ceiling on property tax increases, is long out of date. Within the past 15 years, Grafton has twice had overrides to add needed revenue to the schools, as well as multiple debt exclusions to fund the building of the Central Fire Station, Police Department, high school, library, and DPW.

The ceiling, Mead suggested, could go as high as 5 percent — with the town having the option to tax below the levy limit if possible.

“We can’t live like this,” he said. “We need money.”

Muradian had suggested writing a letter to the legislature to start the process, but the board agreed they should bring in both Muradian and state Sen. Michael Moore in advance, as well as discussing it with officials in surrounding towns and the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

Proposition 2 1/2 “forced the funding battle to happen at the local level rather than the state level,” Chair Peter Carlson said.

And with any budget, the fixed costs need to be funded first. Carlson noted that the town will fund healthcare before distributing the leftovers into other costs. He added that some money intended for education in the first override ended up being used for healthcare due to inflation.

“Are you going to draft it for us to look at it?” Colleen Roy asked Mead.

“Absolutely not,” Mead said, jokingly deadpan.

Photo courtesy of Bill Roubidoux, GCTV

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