What can we do to lower taxes?

The cost of running the town will continue to increase, so taxes will continue to go up. I think that the better questions to ask are "What can we do to make our town more affordable?" and "How do we know we are spending wisely and operating efficiently?"

While lowering taxes may not be possible, I see ways we may be able to mitigate tax increases and improve the affordability of Westborough. These include:

• Rethink how we manage debt to prevent near-term spikes in the tax levy to cover debt service.
• Reassess if, how, and when we use our General Fund Free Cash and the Stabilization Fund to offset the tax levy in years when the levy is significantly greater than an average year.
• Explore zoning changes to increase revenue potential from commercial properties, such as increasing commercial building heights and density in areas away from residential zones, particularly in the office parks near 495, along portions of Flanders Road, and possibly sections of Otis Street. Having approved "campus zoning", we can use offsets and floor size restrictions to prevent over building and "urbanization" or our community. We can limit zoning to avoid or minimize traffic and other impacts. At the same time, we can increase commercial property and excise taxes.
• Continue to strengthen the Economic Development Committee to better market Westborough as a better business location than other area towns. Expand our efforts to strategically target businesses that fit well with our community and provide higher tax revenues.