Massachusetts Library Association

Question 1:  The Truth About Income Tax Repeal

MLA President, Richard Callaghan

On the November ballot, Question 1 proposes to repeal the state personal income tax.  If this question passes about 12 billion dollars or 40 percent of the state budget would be eliminated.  The impact on cities and towns and in turn libraries would be immense.  Funding for all municipal services such as schools, fire, police and of course libraries would be drastically cut.  Libraries are not at the top of the priority list in many cities and towns so our services would be especially impacted.  Cities and towns would be forced to raise property taxes to make up for the shortfall from the state.

State services such as the Board of Library Commissioners would see drastic reductions in funding or more likely be eliminated all together.  The elimination of the MBLC would mean no funding for the regions, no state aid to libraries, no databases, no Federal grants, no delivery, and no funds to the networks. Cities and towns would not have to abide by reciprocal borrowing rules because there would not be any.  Networks would drastically shrink or disband.  Library construction grants would be in doubt because the MBLC would not be able to administer the funds. In any case financially strapped cities and towns would not be able to raise the needed matching funds.  Services to the blind and physically handicapped would also be drastically cut.

Library services in the commonwealth would be at the same level as they were in 1889, the year before the MBLC came into existence. We need to spread the word on the devastation the passage of this ballot initiative could cause.  MLA has joined Coalition for Our Communities, a broad based group that has been formed with the sole purpose of defeating Question 1.  Their web site, votenoquestion1.com has more information on the severe and immediate cuts the passage of this ballot question could cause.