The Fray reports that the town of Longmeadow has rejected three Proposition 2-1/2 overrides, and Plympton recently rejected one as well. Meanwhile, Cape Cod Works updates the Harwich override story: apparently, there may be a revote on the override that failed recently (and, according to this story, tempers in the town are flaring). Holliston, in contrast, just passed an override – by 12 votes out of over 3,000 cast – and Hanson approved one as well. Several other towns have overrides on upcoming local elections ballots, according to my quick Google News search.
Is there a trend in these results? Or are these overrides always intensely local issues, the result of which is determined not by which way the bigger winds on "taxes" are blowing, but rather on how badly a town’s residents feel they need the particular item to be financed by the override? Either way, I continue to believe that property taxes, and Prop. 2-1/2 overrides, need to be brought into the statewide debate on income taxes. Taxes are taxes, and it’s foolish to talk about one while pretending that the other isn’t implicated. So far, Deval Patrick seems to be the only Gov candidate who understands that, but maybe there’s still hope.
