Patch Facts

5 Things You Need To Know Today, Monday, April 29

Bits of knowledge to help make you the smartest person on the bus.

Here are 5 pieces of information designed to make your Monday feel a lot less like Monday and to help make you the smartest person in the coffee shop. 1. Your 3-Day Local Weather Forecast: 2. It's Happening Today: Residents are advised that effective Monday, April 29, due to construction, Church Street from Route 38 to the Town Common will be open for one-way traffic only, east-bound to Middlesex Avenue, according to the town web site. Westbound traffic will be diverted to Middlesex Avenue from the Town Common to Route 38.  The traffic impact will be in place Monday through Friday 7AM to 3:30PM. The project will take about 8 weeks. 3. Reader Comment of the Day: "Well you people must be masochistic, you like being whipped! You're being …

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Tarr, Senate Republican Caucus to Protest Taxes and Other Fee Proposals Made by Governor

The Senate Republican Caucus will identify and focus on one each day in a series of posts called “Tax of the Day” on the Caucus’ blog (www.TarrTalk.com), twitter (@SenBruceTarr), and my Facebook Fan Page.

Mass. Tax Plans: Too Much, Too Soon? Or Too Little, Too Slow?

Should the state forge ahead with Gov. Deval Patrick's bold plan to invest now? Or should it follow the Legislature leadership's proposal to address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives?

Massachusetts legislators this week answered Gov. Deval Patrick's ambitious plan to raise $1.9 billion for transportation and education with a $500 million plan of their own, which says the governor is asking for too much, too soon as the Bay State shakes off the effects of the Great Recession. Who's right? Should the state forge ahead in a bold plan to invest now? Or should it cautiously address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives? While Patrick's plan includes funding for both the state transportation system and increased education funding from preschool through college, House and Senate lawmakers eschew new revenue for education, focusing solely on closing the transportation budget gap over the next five years. The …

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Andrew Sylvia

9:26 pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2013

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Free Tax Help for Wilmington Residents!

The countdown is on to Tax Day.

Tax to Travel: How Would You Pay for Mass' Transportation System?

Gov. Deval Patrick plans to ask lawmakers to raises taxes to make up for the shortfall in Massachusetts' transportation system. What options should they consider and what's off the table?

Would you be willing to pay more at the pump, have a tracking system on your car that taxes you by the mile, or see tolls on state highways? Those are just some of the possibilities looming as Massachusetts looks to erase the state's transportation system's deficit. The Boston Globe reported that Gov. Deval Patrick will ask lawmakers to raise taxes in order to pay for a transportation system—from the MBTA to roads and bridges—that continues to operate in the red. The administration will present a specific proposal by Jan. 7. One option is raising the gas tax, a route Patrick sought in 2009 only to be rebuffed by the legislature. Patrick sought a 19 cent increase while business groups endorsed a 25 cent increase. Ultimately, the state …

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Was Romney Right About the 47 Percent, or Will This Doom His Campaign?

Mother Jones released a video of Mitt Romney telling a private audience that 47 percent of Americans are dependent on the government and will never vote for him. Was this a ruinous gaffe, or has Romney told a hard political truth?

A secret video obtained by Mother Jones magazine has rocked the political world. In that video, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said 47 percent of Americans believe they are victims, are dependent on the government and will never vote for him. He went further, saying he wasn't worried about them. The magazine released a portion of the video Monday. In a late night press conference Monday, Romney said the comments were not "elegantly stated," but were part of a larger conversation about the role of personal responsibility. Romney went on to say the comments were a reflection on "the political process of winning an election, and, of course, I want to help all Americans—all Americans—have a bright and prosperous future." Mother …

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How Wilmington Spent Your Money This Week

Several examples of who the town paid this week and for what reason.

Each week the town spends money approved in the annual budget for everyday expenses and, each week, Wilmington Patch will be running a new feature, highlighting a handful of these expenses for our readers' perusal. The following is a small sample of who the town paid, how much they paid them, and for what reason. Check back each week for more line items out of the town's budget.   What The Town Bought

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Taxes on Your Home Won't Rise Much This Year

Wilmington home-owners won't find a big surprise on their tax bills this year.

Wilmington home-owners won't see a spike in their tax bills for this year. The tax-rate increase on residential properties is the same this year as it was last year, 3 percent, said Town Assessor Humphrey Moynihan at the Board of Selectmen meeting last week. Industry, commercial and personal property tax-payers will also see a similar increase of 3.4 percent.  The tax-rate increase is right about at the inflation level, said Moynihan, with the average home-owner (owning a home assessed at a value of about $357,066) only seeing a modest $125 increase in their final home-tax bill.  In fiscal year 2009, the value of homes in town were assessed at a lower amount, but that actually meant residents were taxed more on their homes.  "We (the …

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