Belmont Property Tax Rate Falls but the Average Bill Continues to Rise

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The good news: The Belmont Board of Selectmen has cut the property tax rate in fiscal 2015 by nearly five percent.

The bad news: Your residential tax bill will in all likelihood be higher in the coming fiscal year.

That’s the analysis from the Board of Assessors which presented its recommendations to the Selectmen on Monday, Dec. 1.

The board’s recommendation, which the Selectmen approved unanimously, was that the fiscal 2015 tax rate to be set at $12.90 per $1,000 of the assessed value of the property. That is a 60 cent cut from last fiscal year’s rate of $13.50.

While normally a cut in a rate would be good news, it comes as the assessed value of Belmont properties increased by just under $500 million to $5.9 billion. That increase can be seen in the value of an “average,” or median, Belmont house which exploded to $847,900 from $782,600 last year.

For the “average” Belmont home, taxes next fiscal year will be $10,938, up $373 from last year’s average of $10,565.

“The decrease in the rate is a result of the increase in real property values with an increase in the tax levy capacity,” said Assessors Chairman Robert Reardon, who was accompanied to the meeting by his colleagues, Martin Millane, Jr. and Charles Laverty III.

For more information on just what is and how the tax levy is calculated, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue has a handy primer explaining the concept.

With the vote, Belmont will see an increase in property taxes in the coming fiscal year of $2.3 million (compared to $1.9 million last year) from a total amount collected of $76.6 million. That amount is the sum of the annual 2.5 percent increase allowed under state law and $654,000 in “new growth” which includes properties that have increased in assessed valuation since the prior year because of development or other changes and any new subdivisions and condo conversions.

As with past years, the assessors recommended and the selectmen agreed to a single tax classification for all properties and no real estate exemptions.

Reardon said Belmont does not have anywhere near the amount of commercial and industrial space needed to support separating the classes with their own tax rate.

“We are not raising more money by having a commercial rate, we are only shifting it” onto businesses while the savings for residential rate payers would be “negotiable,” said Reardon.

Under a senario where the commercial rate would be maximized by a factor of 1.5, residential tax payers would see their rate drop by 39 cents to $12.51/$1,000 of assessed value for an “average” savings of $330 per year while commercial rates would increase to $19.35/$1,000 to see an average increase of nearly $5,500 from last year.

“Every board strives to increase our commercial base … we really want to incentive them and you don’t do that by increasing the tax rate,” said Selectmen Chair Andy Rojas.

Belmont Hires Everett City Services Leader as New DPW Director

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Not wasting any time to fill an important town position, the Belmont Board of Selectmen voted Monday night, Dec. 1, to appoint Jason Marcotte, the director of city services in Everett, to replace Peter Castanino as Director of the Belmont Department of Public Works.

“[Marcotte] has a great reputation and enthusiasm” in the public works arena, said David Kale, Belmont’s town administrator who was part of the search committee.

Kale noted that his experience in public works operations and fiscal and project management “has provided him with the opportunity to work effectively with elected and appointed officials, committees and boards at all government levels.”

“I have met [Marcotte] and what an impressive person he is,” said Selectmen’s Chair Andy Rojas.

“[I’m] pleased we attracted such a fine applicant [for the position],” said Rojas.

Marcotte was hired as an employee at will with a base annual salary of $120,000. He begins work on Jan. 5, 2015.

Marcotte, who goes by Jay, has been a young man on the move in the past few years. He was hired in Everett in July 2013 after spending a year and a month as Manager for the Village of Northfield, Vt. which recruited him from his job as assistant director of public works in charge of fleet, facilities and solid waste departments in Bryan, Texas, a neighboring city to College Station, the home of Texas A&M University.

“[Jay’s] innovative approaches and ability to think outside of the box resulted in significant fiscal savings for the Departments under his charge,” Alton Rogers, a fellow Bryan employee, wrote on Marcotte’s Linkin profile.

“If you wanted the words which best describes Jay, they would be integrity, honest, intellegent, innovative, perseverant and fair,” wrote Rogers.

Marcotte – who matriculated at Norwich University where he earned a BS (in biology) and MPA – also has work experience in the budget process and with large regional organizations as a member of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s advisory board. 

He was also the chair for the Solid Waste Technical Committee for the American Public Works Association, a national organization of public works professionals with 30,000 members.

Marcotte should also garner the attention of the members of Sustainable Belmont as he published a paper on the workability of a cap and trade system for solid waste that was featured by the Sustainable City Network. He also presented a paper at the APWA annual conference in August titled “Boras, Sweden – A city free from fossil fuels.”

“His paper on cap and trade in the solid waste arena is cutting edge. The industry and government should stand up and take notice. I hope to see him published in the near future,” wrote fellow MPA recipient Erica Balk.

Marcotte lives with his wife and two children in Nottingham, NH which is close to the University of New Hampshire. He is on the town’s budget committee and ran unsuccessfully in March 2013 for the town’s three member board of selectmen, losing by seven votes out of approximately 700 cast.

New Belmont Property Tax Rate to be Released Monday

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“Things as certain as Death and Taxes, can be more firmly believed,” wrote Daniel Defoe in “The Political History of the Devil.” 

Tonight, Monday, Dec. 1, the Belmont Board of Selectmen will be take on the certainty of taxes as it receives and will vote on how much residents and landowners will pay in property taxes.

The Board of Assessors will make its annual visit to the Selectmen’s Room to announce their recommendations on what is officially known as the “annual property classification/tax rate for fiscal year 2015.

A year ago this month, Belmont’s property tax rate was set at $13.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. That was a 17 cent increase from the fiscal 2013 rate of $13.33/$1,000.

Last year’s tax rate broke a barrier in which half of Belmont property owners would pay $10,000 or more as the median Belmont residential property of $782,600 would result in a bill of $10,565.10.

Public Meeting on Logan Noise Set for Dec. 3

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A public meeting to update residents of Belmont and Watertown on the increase in noise over the communities from aircraft departing Logan Airport will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. at  Belmont Town Hall.

Representatives from both communities on the Logan Airport Community Advisory Committee (Logan CAC) will host a public meeting to discuss the activities being taken in response to the changes in runway usage and resulting increase in noise over Belmont and Watertown.

In the summer of 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration allowed changes to the flight pattern of aircraft departing from runway 33L which have led to significant increases in noise complaints from Belmont and Watertown residents.

This will be an informational meeting so community members with specific noise complaints should direct them to the Massachusetts Port Authority Noise Abatement Hotline online or by calling 617-561-3333 on weekday days from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

The meeting is expected to be attended by state Reps Jonathan Hecht (Watertown) and David Rogers (Belmont) state Sen. William Brownsberger as well as a member of U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark’s staff. Clark has been working with other Congressional Representatives as part of the Quiet Skies Caucus to advocate with the FAA on noise-related issues.

Selectmen Extends Deadline for Path Implementation Committee to Dec. 8

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The Belmont Board of Selectmen has extended the deadline for applications to the newly-established Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee until Monday, Dec. 8.

The temporary committee, which will consist of five members, will be selected at the Selectmen’s meeting on Monday, Dec. 15. Under the selectmen’s direction, the committee will develop recommended strategies for the design, construction and implementation of Community Path route options selected by the Selectmen back in the spring.

The charge of the Committee will also include identifying funding sources for a feasibility study of the route options, which will include a technical evaluation. The feasibility study will allow the town to establish a cost estimate to be used in the development of capital budget planning and to solicit grant funds to fund the Community Path Project.

Interested individuals with experience in the design, construction and implementation of similar type projects are highly encouraged to apply. Applications should include a completed Community Volunteer Interest Form and Resume. Community Volunteer Interest Forms are available in the Office of the Board of Selectmen or online. Please submit all applications to the Selectmen’s Office or e-mail: selectmen@belmont-ma.gov by Monday, Dec. 8.

Town’s Grateful Thanks as DPW Director Castanino Says Farewell

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Photo: Peter Castanino (right) with his grandson, Brandon, listens to the proclamation from Belmont Board of Selectmen as read by Chair Andy Rojas.

Like many of his days as director of the Belmont Department of Public Works, Peter Castanino had his hands full Friday morning, Nov. 21.

But unlike the usual issues of broken water mains and filling potholes, Castanino was holding his two-year-old grandson, Brandon, in the Belmont Town Hall auditorium.

Since 1932, a Castanino has been on the job for the town of Belmont. That legacy ends this week as Castanino, the architect and first director of the unified Department of Public Works, retires on Nov. 30.

On Friday at a well-attended celebration in Town Hall with residents, town officials and DPW employees, Castanino was feted for 32 years of service to the town.

A receiving line to shake his hand (or squeeze out a hug) and have a few words snaked along the front of the stage; not just officials but employees who worked for Castinano, many for two or three decades.

“Now am going to cry,” joked Castanino after a sustained standing ovation as he stood before the assembled well-wishers.

“I’m humbled and honored. I feel that I had a great opportunity and the confidence the town put into me to run departments,” he said.

Castanino began working in Belmont in September 1981 and would succeed his father, Jimmy, as superintendent of the Highway Department in October 1988.

His best-known achievement came in 2003 when he consolidated the highway, water, sanitary and parks and recreation departments under the umbrella of the Public Works Department. Since that year, he has been the department’s first and only director.

“Creating the department was such a unique opportunity, to build an organization that I thought could have a lasting value to the town,” he said.

“If the consolidation of public works did not benefit the town or the employees, then it would have been a failure,” said Castanino.

“In the public works world, Belmont’s department is known as a first-class, well-run operation and that’s attributed to you,” said Belmont Town Administrator David Kale, a department which is professional, hard working and a place where workers are respectful of their fellow employees.

“In the process to find a new director … it is like replacing (New England Patriots’ Head Coach) Bill Belichick. It’s an unpleasant task,” said Belmont Town Administrator David Kale.

“My record isn’t as good as his,” Castanino said.

His leadership skills were appropriated onto countless town-appointed boards and committees and working with town organizations such as the Belmont Garden Club.

“He set the climate, someone who was willing to work with a bunch of ladies for the benefit of the town,” said the club’s Sherry Jones.

His expertise and institutional knowledge was evident earlier in the day when Castanino was lauded at the groundbreaking celebration of the new Underwood Pool for keeping the 102-year-old facility up and running, his advocacy for a new pool complex while providing advice to the Underwood Pool Building Committee on getting the project into the ground.

And it was Castanino’s colleagues who provided the most insightful comments.

“I will miss his guidance and advice he gives you. He doesn’t tell you what to do, but he gives you advice. No one will replace Peter Castanino,” said Michael Santoro, the head of the Highway Department, who has been Castanino’s assistant for the past quarter century.

While the Highway Department will miss him during snowstorms, “if I know Peter, it’s in his blood, if I make a quick phone call … I’m sure he’ll come back to take a little ride with us,” said Santoro.

Glenn Clancy, the town’s engineer and director of Community Development who met with Castanino on a weekly basis for what one person called “highly-entertaining give-and-takes,” described Castanino as heart of the public works in Belmont.

“All great teams and I consider the municipal employees a great team, has that one person who is the focal point. They are the one person people think about, who their teammates look to for guidance, and to do it right and to do it well,” he said.

“And I firmly believe that when the residents of this community think about the municipal staff, the image they conjure up is [Castanino]. Far and away, his value to this organization has been that very presence … the image,” said Clancy.

For Castanino – who received a Boston rocker, an engraved shovel and a box of fine wines during his sendoff – the praise of what he does should be spread around to many people.

“You talked a lot about what I do but nobody does these things alone. I had lots of help, and I can not forget my public works staff, the greatest staff that I could ask for. They make me look good,” said Castanino.

Special Town Meeting Approves $2.8 Million Belmont Center Project

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Photo: Selectmen Chair Andy Rojas presenting the Belmont Center Reconstruction Project to the Special Town Meeting, Monday, Nov. 17.

In the end, Belmont’s Special Town Meeting decided a renovated Belmont Center was worth the $2.8 million price tag, no matter the funding scheme.

After more than three hours of presentation, analysis and debate, the Town Meeting members voted 140 to 63 to approve the project set to improve sidewalks, crosswalks, pavement repairs, allow for the installation of a new parking system and add new lighting in the town’s main business hub.

“It’s time that [the project] was approved,” said Belmont Selectmen Chair Andy Rojas who, with his fellow members, Mark Paolillo and Sami Baghdady, pushed for the vote this fall after nearly five years of studies and reports.

An initial timeline calls for construction to begin in late winter of next year with expected completion on Oct. 31, 2015.

The majority of the approximately 200 members who attended – about 70 percent of the representative members braved the elements on Monday, Nov. 17 to reach the Chenery Middle School – agreed with town’s elected official and staff who sought to finance the project with a one-time $1.3 million lump sum payment from the town’s “free cash” account and paying for a $1.5 million municipal bond out of the same “free cash” line item over the 15-year life of the debt.

Town officials convinced members the project’s financing options were similar to Goldilocks’ choices: at $2.8 million, the project’s financing was “too small” for a typical debt exclusion requiring a town-wide vote, yet was “too big” for the town’s capital budget to take on singlehandedly.

The funding source deemed “just right” was the town’s savings account which has reached historic levels.

“It’s not small but not terribly large,” said Belmont’s Treasurer Floyd Carman.

Free cash is unspent money remaining at the end of the fiscal year including from budget line-items and any greater than expected tax or fee receipts.

Officials turned to free cash that has been increasing steadily over the past five years, from $2.3 million in fiscal 2010 to $7.5 million in the coming fiscal 2016. This year, due to favorable fiscal conditions and other factors, the town received a large one-time injection into free cash of $1.3 million.

Carman said using free cash would not burden the town with new debt when at least $150 million of necessary projects – a new high school, a police station and a new Department of Public Works Yard – are looming down the road a few years.

“This is a balanced approach as we have one-time funds available,” said Carman.

Yet James Williams, Precinct 1, of Glenn Road submitted an amendment to the article requiring to town to finance the entire amount from a traditional sale of a 15-year municipal bond with its funding coming from general funds.

“Since this is a long-term project, it should be paid with long-term funds; I can’t understand doing it any other way,” said Williams, who voice the concerns of several members who felt queasy dipping into an account that previous town administrators and elected officials have been reluctant to use.

Williams said the funds could be better used “repairing the inaction of the past” in areas such as unfunded pension and retirement obligations leaving the town on shaky financial footings.

But town officials pushed back against the claims, calling the use of pension in the debate “a red herring.”

In addition, Carman said by going Williams’ route, the annual cost to the town would be $321,000 as opposed to $169,000 under the town’s proposal.

“Under Mr. Williams’ plan, we would need to either cut services or use free cash” to make up the difference, said Carman.

While several residents expressed support for the amendment, it was soundly defeated 153 to 49.

When the article with the town’s payment plan was brought up for debate, the discussion was a lively one, including how the project will not help in solving the traffic congestion that occurs during the morning and afternoon commutes.

Johanna Swift Hart, Precinct 4, Hull Street, said she “takes no pleasure” voting against the article. “[Belmont Center] is not a blighted neighborhood,” she said, noting the town has so many needs that officials should seek alternative sources to fund the project.

Belmont Center business owner Jeanne Widmer, Precinct 5, Gilbert Road, echoed others who contend that an upgraded Belmont Center will be a boom to the town’s economic future. She said surrounding towns such as Winchester, Lexington, Reading and Arlington have all made improvements to their downtowns to great acclaim.

“This is a modest plan,” said Widmer.

 

Tom Caputo Named to Fill Vacancy on Belmont School Committee

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Photo: Newly-appointed School Committee member Thomas Caputo (right) is congratulated by Belmont School District Asst. Superintendent Janice Darias. Belmont Superintendent John Phelan is in the center of the photo. 

Technology expert Thomas Caputo was appointed to the Belmont School Committee this morning, Monday, Nov. 17 to fill the vacancy created when Kevin Cunningham resigned from the six-member board last month.

“This is a great honor and I’m proud to have been selected,” said Caputo, who has been for the past two years the Chief Product Officer at FIKSU, a technology start up providing mobile marketing technology to app developers, game publishers and advertisers.

Caputo will serve on the committee until the Belmont Town Election in April 2015 when he can seek to fill the remaining two-years of Cunningham’s term.

The Richmond Road resident – who has lived in Belmont with his wife, Sarah and their eight-year-old, third grade twin daughters for the past seven years – was selected by a joint committee of the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee from eight candidates who had applied for the position.

What guided the majority of the Selectmen and School Committee to Caputo was his experience in finance and technology.

“I think the entrepreneurial and tech specialization along with the venture capital … [is the type of] analytical study of these important issues, particularly around enrollment, [is] critical for the school committee,” said Selectmen Chair Andy Rojas.

“It is the nexus of the technology and business solutions that really spoke to me,” said Laurie Slap, school committee chair.

A dual major (graduating with a BA in computer science and biophysical chemistry) while matriculating at Dartmouth, Caputo also has a MBA from Stanford.

After working in finance in Boston and London, Caputo became a group product manager at Microsoft’s main office in Redmond, Wash. for four years. He come back east to work in venture capital, product management for a software startup in New York before joining the senior execution team at Boston-based FIKSU.

“There is an incredible wave of really interesting start ups as well as established companies that are bringing new education technologies to the market that are … helping school districts across the country to find more efficient and effective ways to educate students,” Caputo told the Belmontonian.

“I do believe that, much the way we’ve seen technology disruptions shaping a lot of industries … Belmont needs to be on the forefront of finding ways to pick the best technology programs, bring them into the school system, train the teachers and administrators to use them effectively and executing all that for the benefit of the students,” said Caputo, who looks the part of the tech pro; wearing a smart blazer over a tie-less pattern shirt, skinny jeans and nifty shoes to the joint meeting.

But Caputo told the Belmontonian that bringing technology to the classroom is not simply “supplying everyone an iPad.”

“It’s great to have the infrastructure but that alone will not solve the issues we’re facing. It’s really about … the iPad and its integration into the curriculum, the selection of the right application and tools and the manner in which it’s all used,” he said.

Caputo pointed to his background in start ups as a plus when the committee faces the challenges of finding adequate funding to maintain the district’s first-rate education reputation.

“What start ups are able to do is find efficient, creative solutions to addressing otherwise challenging problems. I will bring a little bit of that culture to the school committee; to find ways to collaborate, to identify solutions and to look at things in, maybe, a little different way,” he said.

“It won’t be easy. It will require contributions from many different groups and constituents from across the town to make that effective. I hope I can contribute in that way,” Caputo said.

 

Eight Residents In the Running to Fill Vacant School Committee Position

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A past candidate and seven other residents were named by the Belmont School Committee on Friday, Nov. 14 as the applicants seeking to fill the seat left vacant after Kevin Cunningham announced his resignation from the committee last month.

The eight candidates are:

  • Susan Burgess-Cox
  • Tom Caputo
  • Tara Donner
  • Maura Fennelly
  • Jamie Kang (who ran for the committee in 2013)
  • Kimberly O’Mahony
  • Ike Papadopoulos
  • Erica Zidel

The collection of applicants will be presented to and interviewed by a joint meeting of Belmont Board of Selectmen and School Committee on Monday, Nov. 17 at 8 a.m. in the Selectmen’s Room in Belmont Town Hall.

After the candidates are interviewed by the panel, the joint committee will vote for the appointee they feel will best fill the seat during the very busy five months until the April Town Election.

Under state law, the appointee’s term lasts only until the Town Election when they will have the opportunity to seek election to serve the remaining two years of Cunningham’s tenure.

While there will not be time for questions from the audience, suggestions or comments can be sent to School Committee Chair Laurie Slap at lslap@belmont.k12.ma.us

“Each candidate brings strengths and accomplishments and we are all pleased that this vacancy has elicited such interest. We are looking forward to the interviews on Monday and are excited to welcome another colleague at the table to help us as we continue the very important work of providing the best educational experience for all of our students,” said Slap.

Town Meeting Amendment Challenges Belmont Center Project Financing Plan

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Special Town Meeting just got a whole lot more interesting.

Rather than the option of simply accepting or rejecting the financing plan for the $2.8 million Belmont Center Reconstruction Project, the 290 Town Meeting Members now have an alternative to the town-created “free cash” proposal.

Read the project’s highlights here

James Williams of Glenn Road and Precinct 1 submitted an amendment to the Belmont Center warrant article that will be brought before the Special Town Meeting on Monday, Nov. 17 to bond the entire $2.8 million project using a traditional sale of a bond to be paid out of the general fund.

Under the plan submitted in the article, the town proposes to finance the project in two steps; an initial downpayment from the town’s free cash account – sometimes referred to as the town’s “savings account” – of $1.3 million and then issuing a $1.5 million, 15-year bond which will be paid for over the term of the debt from free cash.

Read about the unique way the town will pay for project here.

“Free cash” is typically actual town receipts in excess of revenue estimates and unspent amounts in departmental budget line-items at the end of the fiscal year, plus the unexpended free cash from the previous year.

Last week, the state’s Department of Revenue certified Belmont’s free cash amount at $7,465,000, an increase of $1.3 million from the previous fiscal year.

For Williams and others who both support and are opposed to the project, using the town’s “savings” to finance a capital project that will benefit the residents over many years is not the proper use of the funds.

“Belmont is arguably in serious financial difficulty due in large part to actions taken or not taken by previous and current administrations,” said Williams in an email to the Belmontonian.
Pointing to areas of financial concern such as the millions owed in health care obligations to retired town employees and the lack of financing standard town amenities such as sidewalks and road, “[basically], we are living beyond our means and we are making commitments we can’t keep,” said Williams.
For Williams and others, using “free” cash would be just another example of fiscal irresponsibility by town officials.
“[T]he only responsible thing to do is to issue debt for the entire amount so the so-called “free cash” can be used for existing obligations and the center can be funded by new money,” said Williams.
“Since the Center is not a ‘must have’ project, it should be voted up or down on this point,” said Williams, who will “stand against” the project unless it was fully funded.

At a warrant briefing earlier this month which reviewed the articles on the Special Town Meeting, town officials said the current plan “strike a balance” in using town’s savings so it can bond a smaller portion of the project.

Belmont Town Administrator David Kale said if the entire project is bonded, the town would pay $320,000 in the first year, as opposed to the $168,000 in the first year under the current proposal.