Longmeadow Property Taxes- Part II

This past February I researched historical property taxes for Longmeadow and compared them to the surrounding towns of East Longmeadow, Hampden and Wilbraham.  These results showed that Longmeadow has had significantly higher property taxes for the past 20 years vs. all of these surrounding towns.

This past week, information regarding a second bond ($17.5 million) that will be issued by Longmeadow in mid-October for the remainder of the required $44.1 million financing was presented to the Select Board.  This second bond will have a duration of 20 years at an interest rate estimated at 3.65%.

With this information I have now projected Longmeadow property taxes for the next 10 years (--> 2020).  These projections include both the allowable 2.5% increase and the financing costs for the new high school.   There are no additional capital projects (e.g., new DPW facility) or operational overrides included with these projections.

Click chart to enlarge

For the average property owner (assessment = $351K), taxes will increase from $6,584 (FY2012) --> $8,824- an increase of 37.5%.  It should be noted that 27.1% of this increase is related to the 2.5% annual increase that is allowed by law without an override.

Individual property owners can take the projected mil rates ($/$1000) + their current assessed values (see Vision Appraisal Database) to estimate their future taxes.

The official FY2012 mil rate will be established in December so the first steps of the LHS financing impact will not be observed until the 3Q (due Feb 1, 2012) and 4Q (due May 1, 2012) tax bills are issued.

It should be noted that these projected numbers are not official and are subject to change as the specifics of the actual school project bond issuance are finalized.

Decision Making

Prior to Tuesday's vote on whether to accept a grant from the Commonwealth or to turn it away, Longmeadow voters will finalize their decision.

It may be helpful to review how the Massachusetts School Building Authority reached its decision about why the Commonwealth should offer the grant at all.
What options were available?
Option 1A –Systems Renovation and Code Compliance
Option 1B –Renovation
Option 2A.1–Renovation / Demolition / Addition
*New Classroom Wing; Eliminate Two Courtyards
Option 2A.2 –Renovation / Demolition / Addition
*New Classroom Wing; Eliminate Two Courtyards
Media Center Located in Third Courtyard
Option 2B –Renovation / Demolition / Addition
*Retain 1971 Wing; New Addition with Classroom and Primary Core Spaces
Option 3A –New Construction Located Adjacent to Existing Building
Option 3B –Model School Located Across Bliss Road
Option 4 –Do Nothing

What criteria guided MSBA's decision to fund Option 2B?



















Katherine Craven, Executive Director of MSBA at her visit to Longmeadow on May 19, 2010 gave several reasons why the MSBA supports this project:

“Numerous ADA (American with Disabilities Act) [Compliance] Issues”
* Elevator is undersized
* Accessibility issues-Locker Rooms, Library, Stairwells, Auditorium, Cafeteria, Gymnasium, Bathrooms
* Door widths
* Hardware
Etc…

One of three statutory guidelines for consideration includes “Educational obsolescence”

MSBA Expectations to Address Educational Obsolescence:
•Larger, energy efficient classrooms
•Greater flexibility and adaptability
•Support for information, media and technology skills
•Classroom clusters
•Modern, larger science facilities

Energy Efficient Design:
•Day Lighting Monitors
•Exterior Sunshades
•Interior Light Shelves

Craven added:
“We‘re looking to spend your state sales tax dollars in a way that‘s going to be far-reaching and far lasting –a 50-year project. We‘re trying to avoid getting into duct taping solutions."

The TIMING is RIGHT:
•Right now we have the confluence of good construction costs with great borrowing rates
•Projects are coming in 10% to as much as 25% below cost estimates.
•To us (MSBA) it’s the right time to put projects out on the street(in the next 12 months)

MSBA adds:
•―Our grant right now is for the project that is in front of you.
•―We have over 500 projects waiting
•―All of those projects are waiting because of the $34 M that we have committed here, which would go back into the ―pool for them to compete for."
•―No other community has come this far and failed to approve a project, scope and budget."

Emotions matter; but they cannot be used for hurtful purposes. When I was standing out by the Recycle Center this weekend, by myself, I handed out endorsement flyers and brochures from Lancer Pride. A DPW worker holding a baseball bat told me that I could not stand there. I had been talking in in a modest voice, and suggested calling the police myself. Unfortunately, another citizen who drove into the yard got involved, yelling to the DPW worker. The worker told me I had to leave. Eventually he called the police. I was concerned about his tone. While he called police, I took this photo:Luckily, the 2 cruisers who came by assured him that I had every right to be in that location, doing what I was doing. They explained to me that they had seen a lot of intensity about this issue. And they took my license plate number (not sure why).

Rebecca M. Townsend

PS: I am glad my YES vote is in good, positive company:

“We support the proposal for the new high school as necessary and in the best interests of the town. The new school will maintain our town’s value, reputation and competitive
position as a good place to buy a home and raise a family.”
Dean and Mary Rogeness

“We need to continue to re-invest in our town infrastructure and if it is excellence in education that we stand for, then we need our high school educational facilities to reflect and reinforce that statement.”
John Dowd, Longmeadow, Youth Sports Council

“This is a project whose time has come…. that the state selected Longmeadow over 100s of other projects reflects the tremendous need that we have, and the state’s recognition of that (need). If someone offers you a $78 million dollar project for $44 million of local money, we need to take it… the final design will meet the needs of Longmeadow students…far into the future.”
Larry Starr, Millennium Task Force, High School Council

“We live in a first class town with a third rate high school structure, which is unsafe and outdated. Longmeadow has a rare state-sponsored opportunity to make it much better. Our investment in education will support our children and our property values.”
Daniel R. Grow. MD, President of LEEF

“I am in full support of the Longmeadow High School project... like the school structure itself, the competitive advantage of the Longmeadow Public School education is eroding as neighboring community schools narrow the competitive gap, which lowers our property values and community self-worth. Please… support of the Longmeadow High School project for the betterment of our children and our community.”
Todd C. Ratner, Esquire, Bacon Wilson P.C.

“I support the town’s undertaking of a new high school facility. There is no better time than today, with lower building cost and the State's facility match, to bring our high school into the 21st century.”
Steve Davis, LHS Class of 1976

"For the owners of the approximately 3000 homes, with children no longer in the Public Schools, the direct benefit of a YES vote is the maintenance of property values and the Longmeadow Property Value Premium (LPVP). We all know this LPVP is directly tied to the quality of our educational system, and that the majority of these same homeowners, will have a need to cash out in the next 5-25 years.
Pete Landon, CFO-Sisters of Providence, Inc., Former Chair, Longmeadow Audit Committee

"The design of a new/renovated Longmeadow High School submitted to and approved by the MSBA for funding includes a new academic building combined with a renovation of the 1971 wing. In my opinion, this is the right alternative. It keeps us competitive with other bedroom communities in providing a high school facility that can legitimately reach a 50-year lifecycle. It will allow our teachers today and tomorrow to fully take advantage of 21st century learning initiatives and it provides key academic and community spaces that our current footprint under any renovation plan would be difficult to match."
Peter Greenberg, Finance Committee

VOTE YES, with these folks, on Tuesday June 8, at the Community House!

The following Longmeadow residents support the Longmeadow High School project,
and encourage you to join them in voting YES on June 8th!

Dr. Steve and Ellen McKenna
Dean and Mary Rogeness
John and Paula Gallup
Moira Murphy
John and Jane Heaps
Mike Elder and Dr. AnnMaria Elder
Kim and Matt MacDonnell
Lyn Hopkins
Doug and Jennifer Shapiro
Gene and Cathy Cassidy
Diane and Paul Doherty, Esq.
Jim and Kit Polga
Jim and Barbara Sadowsky
Candy and Stanley Glazer
Matt Landon
Melinda and Henry Cropsey
Mark and Fran Cress
Gina and Owen Humphries
Cynthia Sommer
Lawrence Wilson
Deborah Haas-Wilson
Chris and Craig Carr
John and Bridget Wcislo
Peg Landon
Saul Finestone
Pete Thomsen
Stephanie Smith
Wendy and Derek Upson
Steve and Sherri Ehrenberg
Chris and Margaret Messier
Peter and Marge Greenberg
Mark Pinkowski
John and Samantha Quirk
Andrew and Christina Lam
Greg and Heidi Merchant
Michael and Tracy DeMarco
Tom and Erica Brunette
The Jorgensen Family
Lars Peterson
Raul E. Lorenzo
Lori Ann Lorenzo
Joseph and Mary Aberdale
Kathy and Mike Asinas
Melinda Lee
Marcie Kearing
Steven and Joann Landman
Margie Berg
Lisa Campbell
Mary Vogel and Bill Ravanesi
Thomas H. & Rebecca M. Townsend
Tim Keane and Jennifer Coupe
Dr. and Mrs. Craig Collins
Hilary and Brendan Coughlin
Beth and Bill Hoff
Jen and Tom Cosgrove
Dan and Elizabeth Wright
Paul and Carolyn Marchese
Jay and Gwen Bruns
John J. Fitzgerald
Benn and Kim Burns and family
Erin and Derek Beaulieu
Rick and Kathy Crews
Dave and Janet Echeverria
Mark and Laura Katz
The Barron Family
James and Gina Cass
The Tetreault Family
The Zak Family
Judy and Mike D’Angelo
Mary and Bob Neil
Ellen Donnelly and Greg Stevens
Christopher and Joy Cove
Caren and Mike DeMarche
The Cotnoir family
Dave and Allison Wheaton
The Henley Family
The Joyce Family
Courtney & Stephen Langieri
Seth and Jenna Goodman
Lori Byrne and Family
The Flynn family
Christine and Michael Cox and Family
Ray and Stephanie Smith
David and Susan Bayley
Lori and John Calabrese
Wayne and Kathy Nelson
Ed, Michele, David,
Eric & Daniel Borowsky
Daniel and Laurel Grow
Bruce, Bridget and Lynsey Keator
Jim and Denise Thomas
Rob and Sue Santaniello
Chris Moore and Michele Keane-Moore
Danielle and Christopher Burger
Kate Ryan
The Flynn Family
Lee and Nicole Vardakas
Dirk and Jen Johns
The Draymore Family
Jody Helmus
Patrick and Christina Foley and family
Jane Crosby and William Fleming
Terry and Dina Ditmar
Courtney and EJ Barkett and family
The Robert Engell family
The Dallas Family
Sheila Gregori
David and Karen Appleman
Bobby and Tracy Barkett
Papa and Berta Ekmalian
Ron and Tracey Proulx
The Roffo Family
Yvonne and Art Scolari
Carol Steele
The Travers family
Donna Novak
Jeff and Kim Davis
Daniel and Kelly Bergin
Roger and Erin Jarosz
Steve and Erin Dudeck
Kathy and Phil McBride
Jim and Mary Jude Kennedy
Debbie MacDonald
The Heger Family
The Gilmore Family
Eileen La Casse and Michael Porcello
Debbie and Eric Rubenstein
Maureen & Peter Bonavita
Todd and Denise Ditmar
Louise M. Croll
The Stocks family
Joe and Anne Marie Salvon
Sue and Al Herringshaw
Kevin and Stephanie McNair
The Salt of Longmeadow Organization
Anthony & Cathleen D’Angelo
Mark & Barbara Fydenkevez and family
Tom & Irina O'Hara
Val and Rashel Girshik
Roland & Kris Joyal and Family
June and JOOBOK Lee and family
Keith and Tina Cunningham
Scott and Robin Vuori
Laura and Barry O’Connor and Family
The Sambor family
Ann Burke
Thoma Miller
Jay and Mary Allard
John and Anne Valencia
Louise Croll
Mike and Miriam Sambor
Larry and Cindy Starr
Celeste Benoit
Todd and Amy Ratner
LEEF ~ (The Longmeadow Educational Excellence Foundation)
Authorized by the Lancer Pride Committee

Posted by Rebecca M. Townsend

The Issue

What is before Longmeadow voters?

We have 1 issue to decide tomorrow night: whether to accept Commonwealth money earmarked for Longmeadow's High School, or to reject that offer.

Yes or no.

If we vote no, there is not another plan waiting in the wings. We would need to start from square one, and the money the Commonwealth held for us will go back into their general pool for building projects. The LHS would not get repaired; nothing constructive would happen as a result of a no vote.

If we choose YES, however, we benefit in many ways. One way is through the favorable economic climate for such large scale projects. Our interest rate would be at an historic low, and construction bids would likely come in lower than at another time. Evidence from other districts bears this out. Another way is that the timeframe for building would be expedited. Two years--two years without kids in trailers.

The Finance Committee's opinions on this project matter to some degree, since they are the long range planning financial group for Town Meeting. As of this writing, they have not presented Longmeadow with a long range plan, however. Any informal discussion that they may have had regarding other projects is uninformed by a variety of factors: What is the cost for each item? Will we receive grants or other aid from the state or federal government for such projects? There are too many unknowns for the FC to make any valid claim about the future. It is a shame that our FC would waste time discussing that which they have no control over.

Aristotle even classifies deliberation as that which includes practical matters within people’s power (In The Rhetoric, 1359a); there are too many unknowns for them to deliberate about such possible future items. They are inconsequential to the issue before us.

We know the consequences of inaction-voting no. We know the benefits of acting positively with a YES vote. Those concerns, plus our values and interests, are legitimate to consider. I hope Town Meeting decides to keep its eyes on the prize.

Rebecca M. Townsend

Some additional info

For those readers of this blog who are unfamiliar with the new high school project, here are a few illustrations to help clarify what Mark Gold is talking about in his school project position...

Below is a schematic drawing of the first floor current building configuration showing the various additions including the 1971 wing (pool + library + BTC/open space).

[click graphic to enlarge]

During the review of the current LHS facility, there were positive comments made about the condition of the 1971 wing which were presented at numerous SBC public forums.

1. The 1971 wing is structurally in better shape and has a higher potential for minor renovations.
2. The roof is in satisfactory condition.
3. Pool systems are in good condition.

The first floor of the proposed new high school building structure is shown below including the location of the 1971 wing...

[click to enlarge]

Below is a detailed look at the renovated 1971 wing....

[click to enlarge]

Here is a graphic showing the entire site plan for the new HS project.

[click to enlarge]

Say Yes to LHS; Say Yes to our future

95 Cedar Road

Longmeadow, MA

01106 – 3241

(413) 567 - 6315

To the Editor:

I am writing to thank you for your excellent coverage of the new high school question in Longmeadow. I think that you have been fair to all sides.

However, I have become convinced that one side has the superior claim to our support because of their reliance on logic, science and due process. I support a Yes vote for the new high school project in Longmeadow.

The recommendation for building a new high school for Longmeadow was based on a serious examination of the existing building. The engineers and architects were asked to evaluate the existing building for a renovation or a rebuild. After going through the building in a careful and systematic manner, they presented a number of alternatives. The soundest recommendation was to build a new building with a partial renovation of part of the existing building. The recommendation was made on the basis of science, logic and transparent due process.

Any attempt to do a cheap renovation of $5million would not do the building or the town much good. There is simply too much wrong with the existing building to fix with a cheap renovation. We are talking about asbestos, lead paint, antiquated heating and ventilation, inadequate air conditioning, energy waste and related inefficiencies.

A number of the opponents of a new high school are people who served in Longmeadow’s Town government over the last few decades. While they were serving their watch, the school buildings of the town were deteriorating. (This is along with other public buildings and the roads and sidewalks of the town.) Where was their concern for renovation and maintenance when they were supposedly serving the public interest? It was non-existent. Instead we were given prideful boasts about how the taxes were kept low and over rides were avoided.

Any responsible public servant will honestly discuss the need for expenditures and revenues with the voters and not simply ignore the realities of municipal life and disregard the effects of time and New England weather on our physical infrastructure. Their miserly approach to local government is very much a part of the problems we face today.

The sensible solution to our current situation is to remember the past and work to shape the future. A YES vote for the Longmeadow High School project will do just that.

Sincerely,

John J. Fitzgerald