🔨 The Math Ain’t Mathing
Composting Task Force Created | Shop Local in Downtown Framingham | Celebrate New Years Eve of the Cochituate Rail Trail | Civic Week Ahead
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee is the number one record in the country, Framingham.
It took 65 years for that single to hit #1. Isn’t that crazy? The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Cher and Dolly Parton have all had hit albums and singles in the last few months. Is this 1964 or 2023? Whatever it is - I’m here for it.
Today is Day 4 of Hanukkah. It was wonderful to join with the Jewish community for the annual Menorah Lighting on the Framingham Centre Common last Thursday. Thank you to Rabbi Yakov Lazaros of Congregation Bais Chabad for sponsoring this year’s ceremony.
As we are winding down the year, I’m going to try to tie up some loose government ends in this issue and next week’s issues. After that, I’m taking a Christmas break and will be back in your inboxes in January.
Have a comment or question? I’d love to hear from you. Email me at mkfeeney@gmail.com
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The Math Ain’t Mathing
One down, one to go: The second to last meeting of this Council session took a madcap turn with commentary about smoking in restaurants and whether or not Dick Cheney shot George W. Bush. In the middle of the not focused banter, new information emerged that would influence next year’s tax rate.
The continuation of Framingham’s financial saga: If you have been following along, you know Framingham is in the middle of a weird financial state of affairs with Councilor’s frustrations regarding lack of requested financial information and not having an accountant or assistant accountant.
“Wow, what a couple of weeks”: Councilors were informed of 3 things: 1.) The city hired a temporary part time accountant who started on Monday; 2.) Thanks to the new accountant, levy numbers were revised and were sent to them at 4:00pm on the day of their meeting; 3.) Budget growth projections were incorrect and need to be accounted for in the levy numbers.
Slow growth at lowest level: This year saw Framingham’s growth at its lowest level since 2017. Commercial only increased by 5.4%. The budget estimated $3.5 million in new growth, yet Framingham fell $1.7 million short. These numbers were not reflected in the original calculations presented to the Finance Subcommittee last month. Taxes must be increased to set off the low growth so the budget is in balance.
What does this mean? The overestimation caused roughly an $60 increase in your tax bill. The rate was set by a 10-1 vote of the Council, with George King as the lone vote against, to shift the tax rate by 1.69% towards businesses. The average single family home is valued at $600,800 with an average tax bill of $7,485.97 - an increase of $373 over 2023.
Average commercial is $2,226,400 with an average tax bill of $57,589.22 - a decrease of $1,105 over 2023.
Considering the slow economic growth, many Councilors expressed their concerns about not growing our economic base because the city isn’t competitive enough. For example, Chair Ottaviani pointed out that Ashland and Marlborough, with significantly lower average tax bills for businesses, benefit greatly from active Economic Development Industrial Corporations (EDICs), while Framingham’s hasn’t been appointed in years.
Welcome to Framingham: Special shout out to our new assistant accountant who rolled up her sleeves and checked the math before it was voted on and sent to the Department of Revenue!
Composting Task Force Created
Municipal composting in the future: After hearing from activists encouraging Framingham to start curbside composting, Mayor Sisitsky created the Composting Task Force by Executive Order in October.
Who is on the Task Force?:
Department of Public Works Director Bob Lewis
Sanitation Operations Manager Darren Guertin
Recycling Coordinator Eve Carey
District 7 Councilor Leora Mallach
FPS Executive Director of Operations Lincoln Lynch IV
City Councilor Janet Leombruno, chair the Council’s Environmental & Sustainability Subcommittee
Chair of the School Committee’s Climate Change, Environmental and Sustainability Subcommittee or a member of that subcommittee
Framingham Sustainability Committee Chair Erin Ellsworth
Energize Framingham members Aimee Powelka and Diana Zimmerman-Porter
Framingham residents Mike Croci, Heather Smith, and Michael Tarselli
The Mayor named Mallach the chair of the Task Force.
What are their goals?: According to tonight’s first meeting agenda:
Provide a report and recommendation to the Mayor with a plan for food scrap collection to be included in the fiscal year 2024 budget.
Provide a report and recommendation to the Mayor for incremental program growth that both captures and diverts food scraps from the landfills while showing cost savings for the City.
Provide resources and recommendations for support for long term food waste diversion programs.
Shop Local in Downtown Framingham
As we are in full swing of the holiday season, don’t forget to shop local! Downtown Framingham features a number of shops and restaurants to help you find the perfect present.
Here is a list of great options to check out:
FJ Luxury Flowers: 12 Irving Street Ste 204A - Whether you’re looking for a romantic gesture, a special gift, or elegant decor for an event, FJ Luxury Flowers ensures a touch of sophistication and natural beauty in every arrangement.
Tachic Outlet: 185 Concord Street - Tachic features a diverse selection of high-quality clothing and accessories for men, women, and children.
Chloe’s Collection: 74 Franklin Street - A unique boutique offering trendy fashions from Brazil.From stylish dresses and tops to chic accessories, their collection is carefully curated to cater to different tastes and preferences.
Golden Circle: 22 Union Avenue - If you are looking for something unique or not sure what to check someone, check out Golden Circle. Excellent customer service along with a wide variety of items from jewelry to watches to musical instruments to electronics and power tools.
Miss Chic: 114 Concord Street - First off this store is gorgeous. Miss Chic offers a very stylish and trendy curation of clothing, shoes and accessories.
N+1 Cyclery: 57 Waverly Street - Framingham’s own bike shop. Looking for a new set of wheels? Check out N+1. Not only do they sell bikes, but all of the parts and accessories your favorite cyclist may need. Also, they do repair and maintenance services.
This is a small sample of the variety of shops in Downtown. To see more, please visit Downtown Framingham, Inc., retail directory.
Where do you park?: Often you hear there is no place to park Downtown, but here are some options:
Metered parking is free on Saturdays
Turn onto Frederick Street off of Concord, and you’ll find a parking lot behind the Arcade Building.
Did you know?: Downtown Framingham, Inc., supports the small business entrepreneurs, residents and community members of Downtown Framingham. Next January they are celebrating their 20th anniversary. DFI is right in the heart of this thriving commerce center. Visit their website, learn more, and most of all support our local small businesses.
(Note: None of the businesses paid for any advertising. I randomly selected businesses to encourage you to check them and others out this holiday season.)
Community Events
Celebrate New Year’s Eve on the Cochituate Rail Trail!
Join your neighbors for a walk along the trail, and enjoy hot cocoa, s’mores, music, and fun. Visit various tents with fire pits, games and activities.
Huge thank you to our first sponsor MutualOne Bank! They are always there for Framingham, and we are so grateful for their support.
The Civic Week Ahead
Monday, December 11
Tuesday, December 12
Wednesday, December 13
Thursday, December 14
In Closing…
One more issue of The Ham’er left in 2023. What a year it has been!
Next week I’ll go over the top stories of the year. What do you think is the big stories of 2023 in Framingham? Is it apartments? Seabra Market moving to Downtown? New community center?
Let me know - I’d love to hear it.
-Mary Kate