Mashpee Selectmen Consider Shifting Tax Burden to Seasonal Residents

election boxMASHPEE – Officials in Mashpee are looking at placing more of the town’s tax burden on seasonal residents, while reducing costs for year-round homeowners.

Selectmen have established a group to explore the idea, and Mashpee Selectman Andrew Gottlieb is a member of that committee.

“Wages on the Cape are typically lower than they are off Cape and yet our expenses are higher. The cost of living is quite high. So we’re looking at ways that we can provide some relief to the year-round resident,” he said.

The town is expected to put forward a proposal in August after the working group completes their research.

Barnstable and Nantucket are among towns in the Commonwealth to have adopted year round residential tax exemptions.

Gottlieb said seasonal residents add an additional financial burden on town services such as police, fire, and recreation.

“They bring with them a higher cost basis and I don’t think its unreasonable to ask that portion of the population that drives that to share in the incremental cost of paying for that,” he said.

The committee hopes to have a proposal ready in August, Gottlieb said.



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