To the editor:
All Beverly property owners beware! Question 4 on the ballot this year raises your property taxes again and forever if you vote yes. The first year, they go up 1 percent, but they can be raised shortly to up to 3 percent if another referendum is approved. Our City Council voted to put this question on the ballot because they do not want to be responsible themselves for raising your taxes, but they also could have prevented it from happening and they did not.
Question 4 on the ballot in Beverly this November is about the Community Preservation Act, and it is an override. Remember, a few years ago, we defeated an override attempt, saying that if the city spent its money wisely, it would not need more of your hard-earned income. Well, the same applies now. If the mayor and council spent your money the way you do, this override would not be necessary.
The more money they take away from you today, the less you will have to spend on yourself. Right now, government statistics show that you spend 54 percent of your income in taxes and fees. Your City Council wants you to pay more. Why is it that the council and mayor never look to cut costs? All they can say is it is just a small amount. Well if you keep adding up small amounts, they become large.
We just had a 20 percent increase in the sales tax, and an increase in the meals tax. The property taxes keep going up 21/2 percent a year. If Obamacare stays, we will have 14 new taxes on the middle class. The unions keep fighting for more pay and benefits, many people are working more than one job just to survive, many people are out of work or live on Social Security, and our government wants to bleed us of more of our money.
It is clear we have no leadership in city government working for us. Let us show them in a big way that we pay enough and are not interested in paying more taxes. VOTE NO ON QUESTION 4.
If you would like a lawn sign, please contact me at once at 978-337-5334 or elliott@majecsales.com.
Elliott Margolis
Beverly
