Kraft Also Demands that the Mayor Tell Homeowners What the Residential Property Tax Increase Will Be this Year

BOSTON, MA – Today, at a press conference held on City Hall Plaza, Josh Kraft challenged Michelle Wu to address serious and credible allegations of punitive treatment of commercial real estate owners who have sought legally available tax relief by the City.  [CLICK HERE FOR JOSH’S PREPARED REMARKS]

Earlier today, a group of legal experts with the Pioneer New England Legal Foundation alleged that the City of Boston’s Tax Assessment Department has been artificially inflating commercial property values and punishing owners simply because they applied for tax abatements in the face of a challenging commercial real estate market. 

Across the City, owners have applied for abatements – lower tax bills that reflect the real market value of their buildings. The accusation is that commercial property owners are being over-assessed if they challenge their valuations.

Kraft called upon the Mayor to provide a detailed explanation for these allegations, if the evidence is wrong, to prove it, and that a wholesale dismissal — which has been her standard response — would be unacceptable. 

“Right now, it looks like the Mayor is using her office to punish property owners for exercising their rights under the law. If these cases go to court and the City is forced to refund hundreds of millions of dollars in overpaid taxes, it will be a massive blow to Boston’s finances.”

According to the Boston Policy Institute, the City faces a real estate shortfall of $1.7B, which will only be compounded by Donald Trump’s federal cuts. A gap this size can only be closed one way: by raising residents’ taxes.

“In addition to explaining the alleged punitive behavior towards commercial property owners, I am also calling on Mayor Wu to immediately tell homeowners just how big this year’s tax increase will be,” said Kraft

Last year, Mayor Wu shared estimates of residential tax increases with the Senate President’s office as early as September 26^th.

“Boston residents deserve honesty and clarity,” added Kraft. “But we all know the Wu Playbook: Deny the problem, dismiss the critics, and delay the truth until after the election. We’ve seen it on Mass & Cass, on White Stadium, and on city finances. And residents are the ones who pay the price.”

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Media contact:

Eileen O’Connor

Cell: (617) 806-6999

Email: eileen@joshforboston.com