Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | November 25, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 21 Massachusetts needs to lean into public transit Worcester needs a single-tax rate V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L E arlier this month, the Massachusetts House of Representatives decided to shelve its debate of Gov. Charlie Baker's $18-billion transportation bond bill un- til 2020, postponing discussions on the impactful issue instead of trying to meet a some- what arbitrary 2019 deadline. As state legislators go behind closed doors to understand the issues better before arriving at a comprehensive strategy, we urge them to consider a solution placing high priority on public transit. Yes, Massachusetts' aging road and bridge infra- structure needs to be improved and made safe; but the solution to the state's main transportation issues lies in getting more cars off the road. Commuters spend hours on roads and highways from Boston to Worcester because there are too many other drivers on the road, not because the infrastructure isn't up to snuff. In order to get more cars off the road in Central Massachusetts, the public transit options need to be much more viable. e commuter rail is a great asset to commu- nities in MetroWest, North County and Greater Worcester; and Union Station in Worcester already attracts nearby development. But for the commut- er rail to truly connect Central Massachusetts to Greater Boston, we need trains to run much more frequently. Currently, the commuter rail schedule offers strange and oen inconvenient times for people to travel to their offices, with hours-long gaps in the aernoon. e number of trains leaving Worcester for Boston's South Station each day should at least triple from its current 20, so trains A s we approach the year's end, residents and business- es again prepare for the continued debate at Worces- ter City Hall over the city's dual tax rate. Since fiscal 2015, the majority of the City Council has voted to increase the total tax bills on commercial and industrial property owners while lowering the residential tax rate over the same period. e Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce has argued reducing the gap between commercial/industrial/ personal tax rates and residential tax rates will lead to a fair and equitable system. Moreover, it will grow the commercial/industrial workforce and tax base, creating good-paying jobs for residents and revenue for city services. Of 351 municipalities in the com- monwealth, just 91 still utilize a dual tax rate. Worcester's commercial/in- dustrial tax rate is double at least seven towns surrounding it, as those towns boast pad-ready sites for companies looking to relocate. Surrounding communities are putting themselves in the best position to broaden their tax bases. Webster moved to a single rate in 2018, understanding keeping businesses in their town and attracting new ones will expand its tax base, which will lower both the business and residential taxes. In November in Auburn, the town selectmen again voted unanimously to narrow the gap toward a single rate. Fitchburg and Clinton are following suit, understanding the continued vote in Worcester to widen dual tax rate is contributing to companies leaving Worcester. In August, construction began on a $45-million development project for Olympus Corp. in Westborough. e 150,000-square- foot building is set to be completed in the first quarter. Christopher Egan, president of Carruth Capital LLC who is performing the construction, said, "Olympus picked the site because Westborough has a fair single-tax rate." is is a continued trend Worcester has seen over the past few years. When Primetals Technologies Ltd. (formerly Morgan Construction Co.) wanted to expand in Worces- ter aer a 100-plus year presence in the city, there were scant pre-permitted pad-ready sites available. Primetals, and its 275 jobs, departed Worcester in 2018 for a reno- vated 183,000-square-foot site, paying a $16.52 per $1,000 assessed tax rate in Sutton. Councilors have pointed to Worcester's TIF deals as an incentive to attract or retain businesses. While the chamber is supportive of TIFs, only a handful of businesses have utilized the program given the limits, challenges and costs of pursuing a TIF agreement. e city has only 17 active TIF agreements. is represents 0.18% of the total number of businesses in the city. Moreover, only three TIF agreements have been approved since 2015. In this past election, Worcester candidates ran on support- ing the lowest residential tax, so businesses must brace for another increase. Councilors who argue people need these breaks forget those same people need good-paying jobs. Having 700 manufacturing jobs leave the city in recent years is counterproductive and goes against their argument. Alex Guardiola is the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce director of government affairs and public policy. BY ALEX GUARDIOLA Special to the Worcester Business Journal depart every 15-20 minutes. In May, the Worcester Regional Research Bureau put out a thought-provoking report on the declin- ing ridership of the Worcester Regional Transit Authority bus system. e WRRB suggested if the system were made completed free, ridership would drastically increase, not to mention the benefits to lower-income households who rely on buses as their main transportation option. WRTA collects about $3 million in fares annually, so the cost of going fare-free would be manageable, especially considering the cost savings of not having to collect fares. If the state transportation bill were to fund a pilot program for a fare-free Worcester (or simply fund a permanent switch to fare-free), more people would view the bus system as a viable option. Outside of the main area WRTA serves, workers using commuter rail are plagued by last-mile issues, particularly in MetroWest communities. e issue here is while workers can take the commuter rail to get from their homes to the train stations near their work, they have no steady option to get from the train station to their jobs. Certain communities like Marlborough and companies like Boston Scientific offer shuttles and bicycles, but these feel like limited options. e state's transportation reform should explore solutions like increased bus service. One of the few issues able to derail Greater Boston's booming economy is the traffic congestion plaguing the region, and those issues spill out into Central Mass. Rather than exploring transportation reform to make motorists' lives a little easier, the focus should be on getting them off the road. The Worcester Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Please send submissions to Brad Kane, editor, at bkane@wbjournal.com. Alex Guardiola W A T H O U SA N D WO R D S B Y D O N L A N D G R E N W

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