Medford Officials Endorse MA Ballot Question 1, The Millionaires Tax

MEDFORD, MA — The ‘Fair Share for Massachusetts’ campaign announced Thursday that the Medford City Council and School Committee have joined city councils, select boards, and school committees across the state to endorse Question 1, the proposed ‘Fair Share Amendment’ that would tax incomes above $1 million and use the funding to improve transportation and public education.

In recent months, resolutions supporting Question 1 on the November ballot have been passed by 19 city councils, 16 town select boards, and 27 school committees, collectively representing more than 50 communities across Massachusetts.

Communities range in size from rural towns such as Windsor, with a population of 831, and New Salem with a population of 983, to many of the Commonwealth’s largest cities, including Worcester, Springfield, and Boston.

At city council, select board, and school committees over the past few months, municipal supporters of Question 1 have spoken about how the constitutional amendment would help their communities by making our tax system fairer and providing substantial resources for education and transportation investments.

“I’m super excited to see this resolution presented in support of the Fair Share Amendment, together with my council colleagues,” Lawrence City Councilor Celina Reyes said in August. "We are committed to creating better opportunities for our communities and this bill brings the resources to invest in education and transportation infrastructure for all in Massachusetts.”

“I am proud to sponsor this resolution in support of the Fair Share Amendment, a statewide tax on millionaires that will then bring millions in funding to the very school district I was raised in,” Salem School Committee Vice Chair Manny Cruz said in June. “With the dollars raised we can uplift our school communities through providing the smaller class sizes, social-emotional supports, extra tutoring, and additional counselors, nurses, and social workers that our students deserve.”

If passed, Question 1 on the November ballot would creating a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and constitutionally dedicate the funds to be spent on transportation and public education.