By Josh Resnek
Councilor at Large Mike Marchese is calling for the city to use the city’s tax revenues from the casino to bring down the tax rate.
In a measure he will be filing for comment at the next city council hearing on the 14th, Marchese is asking for 75% of the money derived from Encore’s casino and hotel to be used to lower the city’s property taxes.
“What could be better than that?” Marchese told the Leader Herald.
“The revenues from the casino are a once in a lifetime bonanza. Why not use a portion of the income to bring down taxes – to make Everett’s property taxes the lowest in the state!” he added.
Marchese introduced a similar message before the council three years ago.
The measure went nowhere.
Marchese’s motion, which the council will likely discuss at the next meeting, runs in the face of statements made by the mayor’s blue ribbon commission, which recently suggested that casino revenues to the city should not be used to bring down the property tax rate.
The panel studied all aspects of city spending, and especially that of the school department.
“Those people don’t live here. They are not invested in any way in our community. I respect their opinions, but literally nothing beats having the lowest property tax rate in the state.
“An extremely low property tax rate will spur more development here such as we might never have dreamt of. Lower property taxes means more investment. More investment means more tax revenues and growth. I will be discussing this measure with my colleagues,” Marchese told the Leader Herald.
While the blue ribbon commission’s recent findings released by the city are not binding, there is the implied belief that the mayor and his chief financial officer Eric Demas will be following their directives closely – including their missive that casino revenues should not be used to lower property tax revenues here.