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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — On Tuesday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu amended her tax relief proposal once again, after her most recent proposal was rejected by the State Senate.
Mayor Wu said Boston just had the “single largest jump in the residential share of the property tax levy since 2007.” After months of negotiations, the Boston City Council and the State House of Representatives approved the Mayor's latest version of the proposal, but it did not clear the State Senate.
According to the State House News Service, support dwindled in the State Senate once the Department of Revenue certified property values in December, which decreased projections on the tax hike. Democrat Sen. Nick Collins of South Boston spearheaded blocking the most recent proposal and called it a “campaign of fear and manipulation.”
When the Fiscal Year 2025 third quarter property tax bills were sent out on Jan. 1, Boston’s single-family homeowners saw an average increase of over 10 percent. Commercial property owners saw the opposite, saving an average of $7,745 compared to the previous year.
“For too many residents, this sharp tax spike is a burden that makes it even harder to pay bills and afford to stay in the city they call home,” said Mayor Michelle Wu in a statement.
If the tax rate does not change for Fiscal Year 2025, the proposal would give the city authority to issue tax rebates to residential property owners. It would also increase protections for seniors, including lowering eligibility requirements for exemptions.
If the proposal is passed by the Boston City Council, it would still need approval from state legislators and Gov. Maura Healey.
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