Maria Capriola (left) and Select Board Chair Alisa Brewer
UPDATE: 5/5/16: Maria Capriola was appointed our new Town Manager
She came off as friendly but firm, bright -- but not in an overly academic sort of way -- poised and articulate. Most surprising, however, was how experienced she is at the tender age of 36.
Amherst is already used to females in a leadership roll, from the current ultra organized Select Board Chair Alisa Brewer to previous superstar, and probably someday mayoral contender, Stephanie O'Keeffe.
Even going back to the nightmare years circa early/mid 2000s, then Chair Anne Awad ruled with an iron hand.
The main advantage Ms. Capriola has is her experience in Mansfield CT, a "college town," where the property tax base shifted from 90/10 residential/commercial to 75/25 with the construction of a downtown literally from the ground up.
Amherst's current taxbase is 90% residential, and badly in need of commercial development.
Hate to reveal myself as a lowbrow or reactive sexist but her last name overtly reveals the anagram "i crapola?"
ReplyDelete45% of Amherst's tax base is residential housing that is owned by landlords to make profits. It's not 90% of homeowners carrying the tax load.
ReplyDeleteLarry states that Amherst's current tax base is 90% "residential", not "homeowner". Renters assume landlord costs plus profit and costs include real estate tax.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's a safe bet when she said Mansfield previously had a 90% "residential" tax base not ALL of them were homeowners.
ReplyDeleteSo 55% of Amherst's tax base is commercial and rental properties. Not so bad.
ReplyDeleteIn Amherst, rentals are 50% of housing. And rental properties are taxed at the residential rate, not business. Northampton has this figured this out, rentals are taxed as what they are -- a "business", not "residential".
ReplyDeleteRenters are the biggest taxpayers in town, paid with after-tax dollars (vs. homeowners who deduct mortgage cost). Anyone who can wrestle a bunch of landlords (who think they are the ones paying those taxes, not the renters) into sharing the golden egg, they get my vote.
In that case, she doesn't have a chance.
"Renters are the biggest taxpayers in town, paid with after-tax dollars (vs. homeowners who deduct mortgage cost)."
ReplyDeleteAnd who, in most cases, pay a de-facto higher mill rate because each renter in a multi-unit property doesn't benefit from the $100K exemption like each homeowner does.
This is why I will say what I will when (not "if") Ferguson-style riots break out in Amherst. It's gonna happen Enku, and your ACT Nazis are only delaying it, inherently making it worse when it does happen.
This has to be Amherst's first woman town manager, right? How cool is that?!?
ReplyDeleteAt age 36, we should have Business West's 40 Under 40 all locked up next year, top down.
A leader with relevant experience from a college town with similar challenges is a total game changer.
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**Call ME controversial** but I think it's going to be refreshing for Amherst's numerous women business owners to have the town's leader be more relatable ...For the former man zone of fellowship and real personal connections to really be a thing of the past. Thank you Select Board.