No one can say that your taxes won't go up with certainty at any time without having all the facts and figures before them. Even if your councilor votes for the 'lowest residential rate', your taxes still can and usually do go up. If, for example, the council votes to keep the residential tax rate the same, (which would be very unlikely), your bill will continue to change for a number of factors including changes in property value.

If the City of Worcester went to a single tax rate tomorrow, with no other changes put into motion, the residential tax rate would only increase by about $3 per thousand. This is because there are far more residential properties than commercial properties in the city. However, that is not what this effort is looking to do.

The efforts of Worcester Citizens for Business are to:

• Educate residents on this issue so they clearly see what is happening to our city.
• Communicate our concerns as citizens to our city councilors and those seeking office.
• Get a commitment from our councilors and city administration to come up with a fair and equitable plan to move our city back to a single tax rate within the next five years.
• Encourage residents to vote for candidates that embrace this important issue which addresses the long term health and viability of our city.

If we don't work with our existing businesses to stay and expand and present a more business friendly image, YES, our residential taxes without question will go up immensely and there will be no easy way to turn back.

DO YOU NEED HELP PAYING FOR YOUR TAXES? 

The City of Worcester offers personal exceptions to those who qualify for help with their real estate taxes. Personal Exemptions are a reduction in taxes due to a particular personal circumstance and qualifications set forth in the Massachusetts General Laws. Examples of thoe who may qualify are our elderly population, veterans, disabled individuals. There are also deferrals for portions of your tax bill available if you have lost a job or are experiencing a personal hardship. Please refer to the following link or call the Assessor's Office at (508) 799-1098.

 http://www.ci.worcester.ma.us/

Choose 'city departments','administration and finance' and 'assessing'.

There are also a number of options available for taxpayers at worcesterresources.org.