Braintree voters OK $8M override. How much your property taxes will increase

BRAINTREE − Voters overwhelmingly approved an $8 million tax-limit override during a special election Saturday. The permanent override, the town's first, is part of the town's solution to its $18 million budget shortfall.

"I am so humbled by our voter turnout today," Braintree Mayor Erin Joyce posted to the town's Facebook page an hour after the polls closed at 8 p.m. "We made history again tonight − the first override to pass in Braintree and it passed with 67% of voters in favor."

Although the ballot question succeeded, the town still needs to close a remaining $10 million budget gap.

Joyce and other town officials have said that the town’s expenses continue to outpace revenue. The override, they said, would provide the town with an immediate injection of recurring money.

Prop 2½ and the need for a special election in Braintree

Proposition 2½, a state law passed in 1980, limits the amount of property taxes that cities and towns can raise. It requires municipal officials to ask voters’ permission to raise or lower taxes greater than the allowed 2.5% annually. That can be done on a permanent basis through a tax override, like the one that just passed, or on a temporary basis with a debt exclusion.

Braintree property tax bills will go up − by how much?

The average single-family home in Braintree is valued at $668,178. With the passage of the override, the average property tax increase will be $454 next year.

To calculate the estimated cost of the override for your home, find your home’s assessed value at https://braintree.patriotproperties.com/default.asp. Then, divide that number by 1,000 and multiply that result by 0.68. Braintree also has an Override Impact Calculator at voteyesbraintree.com/how-much-will-it-cost-me.

How will the money be used in Braintree?

The ballot questioned outlined how the $8 million an additional property taxes would be distributed within the budget.

The general municipal government allotment is $2.5 million. The school department will receive an additional $4 million, and the remaining $1.5 million will be shared between the town and school's override stabilization funds. The measure kicks in when the new fiscal year begins July 1.

Revenue from the override is intended in part to prevent an estimated 91 layoffs in the school system and 35 in the public works department. The police and fire department do not face layoffs, although they will need to make adjustments to stay within budget.

When did Braintree last vote on a tax override?

Braintree voters previously rejected two permanent tax-limit override proposals.

The first was in June 1997 for $2.9 million to help pay for school expenses like rising special education costs, contractual obligations and teaching materials. It lost by a 3,200-vote margin.

The second vote was in May 2003, asking for $2 million for general operating costs.

Voters in Braintree have also been asked to decide temporary debt exclusion requests a handful of times. They passed four requests in September 2020, the town's first, amounting to $94 million.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Braintree MA approves override in special election