A recent letter to the editor rightfully highlighted the poor condition of Marblehead’s roads and asked an important question: Why are other Massachusetts communities able to maintain high-quality infrastructure while Marblehead suffers through potholes and patchwork repairs?
While there are many factors at play, one basic reality is hard to avoid. Marblehead simply does not have the financial resources to consistently meet these expectations. As the reader notes, we have “pride in our community,” but we simply don’t pay enough in taxes to support the infrastructure and services the town deserves.
When Marblehead is benchmarked against comparable Massachusetts towns, the results are striking. Measured as a share of either residents’ collective income or total property value, Marblehead ranks near the bottom in how much it raises through property taxes. In other words, relative to our peers, we contribute less toward funding our local government. Out of 17 comparable communities, Marblehead ranks 16th by taxes as a share of income and 17th – dead last – by taxes as a share of property value This matters because those figures reflect our long-term investment in the town. Communities that consistently maintain good roads, schools and public services pay for them. Marblehead, by contrast, has benefited for years from comparatively low property taxes — but that underinvestment is now catching up with us.
The numbers make this clear. If Marblehead simply collected the average percentage of residential income paid by peer communities — 3.7% instead of 3.3% — the town would generate approximately $10 million in additional annual residential property tax revenue. At the same time, Marblehead’s forecasted budget deficit is expected to grow from roughly $7 million to $15 million over the next three years. The gap between what we pay and what our peers pay is strikingly similar to the shortfall we now face. Perhaps that’s a coincidence, but probably not.
I understand that no one enjoys paying higher taxes. But the data shows that Marblehead residents contribute less than residents of similar towns. Living in Marblehead has been a very good deal for a long time, but now we face a financial reckoning. The challenge before us is deciding whether we want to continue underfunding the services and infrastructure the town depends on or step up and provide the financial resources necessary to deliver a Marblehead we can all be proud of.
I urge the Select Board to place a general override on the ballot that meaningfully addresses Marblehead’s structural revenue gap and allows the town to restore, sustain and improve core services. And when that vote comes, I encourage residents to ask a simple question: What kind of community do we want Marblehead to be — and are we willing to invest accordingly?
I hope we are.
Matthew Hooks
Nanepashemet Street
***Read more about Hooks’ analysis (including charts) HERE.
