Stoneham's Tax Exemptions: A Reflection of Our Community's Values

Guest article written by Bill Gerke.

A town is a place where we become something bigger than each of us can be alone. Each of us makes up Stoneham--but all of us together are Stoneham.

One place that happens is in the town government. Through collecting taxes and providing services, Stoneham is able to provide more to all of us than we could afford on our own. Police and fire fighters protect us better than having to hire private security. Schools teach our children better than everyone hiring private tutors. The DPW cares for our roads and infrastructure better than each of us paying for it ourselves.

All of that takes money provided by taxes and fees. But some of our fellow residents face financial hardship that makes it difficult for them to pay, and that becomes another place we can do more together.

Stoneham offers property tax exemptions and deferrals as allowed under MA law so that we--together--as a town can help those who are struggling. Many of these have limits on the amount of the exemption or who is qualified defined in the state laws. And these limits reduce who can participate and how helpful they are to the people who need them.

But a number of them also offer towns a choice. And in every case I could find when Stoneham had a choice, we chose the most generous option possible:

• Clause 17D - Seniors, Surviving Spouses, Minor Children (of deceased parents) - Exemption amount is set by the state but the town can choose to have it increase annually based on the Consumer Price Index. We did.
• Clause 41C - Senior Tax Exemption - Clause 41C sets the exemption to $500 but allows the town to vote to increase it to $1000. We did.
• Clause 37 - Legally Blind Persons - Allows the town to adopt one of two exemption amounts. We chose the higher amount.

The message here is clear: When faced with a choice between doing more or less for their fellow residents, Stoneham voters consistently choose doing more. We consistently say, "We will help out those who need help right now, even if it means a greater burden for ourselves."

Stoneham is currently considering two additional exemptions:

• MGL Chapter 59 Clause 5C 1/2 Optional Additional Real Estate Exemption - While not a new exemption, this allows Stoneham to increase the amount of most existing exemptions--providing more help to those who already qualify
• Senior Means Tested Property Tax Exemption - This is an income tax credit provided to seniors 65+ whose property tax payments or rent exceed 10% of their income. The state determines eligibility and towns can add limits on the amount or town-specific qualifications.

I encourage all Stoneham residents to reach out to the Select Board and encourage them to propose both additional exemptions and to make them as generous and as widely available as possible--maximum exemption amounts and minimal to no additional limitations on eligibility beyond those set by the state.

Let's take this opportunity to show who we are as a town by acting with generosity and compassion for those around us facing difficult times.

To learn more about these exemptions and how you might be able to qualify, please visit the Real Estate Exemptions section of the Stoneham Town Website or contact the Stoneham Assessor's Office.

This article was originally posted to SaveOurStoneham.org.