Candidates Questionnaire - Marjorie Decker

1. Many residents feel that their property taxes are too high, and that because of this they cannot afford to buy a house or rent an apartment to stay in Cambridge. How can we make sure that property taxes keep the city affordable while providing the city with the tax base it needs?

Cambridge actually has one of the lowest residential property tax rates in the state: $7.78 per $1000, with the first $213,000 of value exempt from tax.  However, there are two groups of people who are struggling with a high tax burden in Cambridge: those who bought many years ago and are house rich and cash poor; and those who were recently hit with an increase in their tax bills due to the city having to assess at 100 % for all properties, as directed by the state. City revenues have been drastically reduced because of statewide local aid cuts totaling over $500 million since fiscal year 2002.

As a result of the new method of assessment, some people found their taxes shooting up by 40 to 100%.  People need to have predictability in planning for their taxes, so I am proposing Council legislation that would set a base for taxes at a property's current assessment and impose a base number tax that would be paid by all property owners. I will also examine a commitment of limiting future tax increases to a specific percentage,
possibly in the range of 3-5%.  If the property owner were to sell their property, the city would reassess the value and establish taxes on the new assessment.  This has been successful in other communities.

It is important to note that Cambridge's commercial tax base allows the residential tax rates to stay low and that some people saw their tax bills go down in the last billing cycle.

I have also proposed that owner occupied homes be assessed at a lower value then empty homes.  This rewards residents who live in their homes rather than using them solely for investment purposes.  We can accomplish this through a home rule petition.

2. How can we make public transportation better in Cambridge and what can the City Council do to encourage residents to use public transportation?

The city needs to consider developing, either in partnership or on its own, a para-transit system, such as a shuttle system, to make it easier for residents to cross the city.  The system, which would have stops in the hearts of neighborhoods, would run frequently to provide commuter flexibility.  

In addition to public transportation, the city also needs to continue creating a cycling-friendly community.   In Chicago, the city created a lock and shower facility for folks working downtown. Although I am not convinced that Cambridge is big enough or that our workforce is concentrated enough to justify this concept, we could do more to create a cycle-friendly climate. I also propose that we should continue to examine incentive programs for employees who leave their cars at home.

3. What can the city do to make sure that future negotiations with the city’s unions are fair to workers?

The city is bound by law to negotiate with unions, and the City Council must continue to be visible in its support for organized labor.  

When inspectional services began to organize, I was the first City Councilor to sign a letter to the city manager informing him and the Director of Personnel that I fully supported workers' rights to organize and that I was strongly supportive of the inspectional services workers’ rights to collective bargaining.  

As a City Councilor, I have been on the forefront of workers' rights issues.  Last year I was the first woman and the first non-mayor to be honored by the Boston Building Trades, which recognized me for my strong and effective advocacy for workers.  My advocacy has ranged from helping to strategize with workers and students during the living wage campaign and leveraging resources for this campaign -- such as getting Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to appear with me at a living wage rally – to effectively convincing the president of Genzyme to ensure that janitors who were sub-contracted to R &C cleaners were allowed to organize without harassment.  

The most effective way for the Council to support fair contract negotiations of city employees -- without breaking the law, due to the Charter constraints laid out in our Plan E form of government -- is to be visible and outspoken on all matters concerning workers' rights to organize and collective bargaining.

4. Cambridge is one of the centers of high-tech innovation in the country. What can the City Council do to encourage innovation and take advantage of new technology while keeping the city affordable for its residents?

In the ever-changing technological community in which we live, the City Council has the responsibility to take advantage of cost-efficient technology that provides our residents with new opportunities. Last year, the city completed renovation of its first municipal green building with the reopening of the Green City Hall Annex. When I was a Councilor in 2003, we began work on making this building more energy efficient by utilizing sustainable construction techniques. The result is a building that promoted a healthy work environment for employees without losing the charm and history of the 134-year-old building.

There are many opportunities that we need to examine to keep Cambridge technologically updated, including the possibility of public/private partnerships that help put better computers in our schools.

We can draw on the previous successes by taking lessons learned and applying them to future opportunities. For example, the city government’s efforts to help expedite Novartis’ move into the old Necco plant was beneficial to the entire community and further demonstrated the significance of Cambridge in the field of biotechnology.

One of the most effective ways to keep technological advancement affordable in Cambridge is by providing a range of housing options, something to which I have a demonstrated commitment through my time in elected office. We can also continue in my efforts to ensure that these jobs are and remain available to Cambridge residents. These are important 21^st century jobs that are across the employment spectrum, and they often provide good benefits in addition to salary. We can make sure Cambridge residents are able to take on these jobs by providing an educational curriculum in our schools that remains relevant to the skills needed in our changing economy and society.

5. What will you do to take advantage of the unique educational resources provided by the Cambridge’s universities while preventing university development that threatens working families?

I have often utilized the rich resources of Cambridge’s universities and colleges.  I worked with the Political Science Department at MIT and the Kennedy School of Government to produce a town meeting for 200 Cambridge youth with focus groups led by leading academics on voting patterns and youth participation in elections.  On my request, MIT hosted the event facilitated by Michael Dukakis during the Democratic National Convention that I organized for human service workers to discuss the presidential election and its impact on human service providers. 

I have also invited economists from both MIT and Harvard to help me think about the property tax issue. In response to President Summers' comments about women being innately less in tune to the sciences than men, I organized a tour of the Museum of Science with two women scientists who led women students from Harvard and MIT, as well as young Cambridge women and girls. I have worked with Harvard faculty, staff and students in my opposition to the war in Iraq and was invited as a guest twice to Iraq war events at the University.  It has been imperative in my efforts that I have been able to separate the Harvard academic community from the Harvard Corporation. 

As the lead negotiator on the Riverside/Mahoney's project, I managed to help shape a process that put the residents at the center of the negotiations, mediating a zoning plan that included, for the first time ever, an attached legal document binding Harvard to deeding riverfront open space land. The agreement included nearly $1 million for a community-led design process that will further benefit Cambridge residents.  As a result of the negotiations, Harvard is committed to building 40-60 units of affordable housing, and is bound by height and density restrictions on the project. 

In the fall, I am hosting a town meeting on the state of hunger in Cambridge and have sought the support of a leading academic nutritionist at Harvard University to moderate. 

Harvard is a critical part of the Cambridge community, and it is important that we continue to sustain effective dialogue so that we can reach mutually beneficial decisions.

6. What can City Council do to ensure that future development is not environmentally harmful?

The City of Cambridge has worked hard to protect and improve the environment through programs that prevent pollution and encourage environmentally friendly alternatives.

In 1999, the Council passed a resolution to join the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP). This resolution committed the City to prepare a greenhouse gas emissions inventory, set a target date to reduce emissions, develop and implement a plan and then monitor the results. In December 2002, the Council adopted the CCP and set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2010. Cambridge is one of 147 cities in the United States that have joined the CCP efforts.

In 2002, I signed onto a City Council resolution that asked the City Manager to study the feasibility of establishing a City policy of purchasing alternative fuel automobiles for use as non-public safety city vehicles. In April 2004, I held a Health and Environment Committee hearing to discuss what tools the City is using to explore and develop utilization of solar energy.

Environmental concerns necessitate a long-term approach with forward-thinking individuals. Too often in big cities, adjustments to environmentally friendly products and equipment comes as an afterthought. I will continue to examine and propose opportunities in our cities that are good for not only our residents, but also the children and grandchildren of our residents.

Marjorie Decker Campaign
202.487.6655