It’s that time of year again. Well, yeah, it’s holiday season, but it’s also the time of year that many cities and towns set their property tax rates.

The exercise places a lot of pressures on local officials who try to balance the needs of homeowners, who do the voting, with the effect higher taxes have on the crucial commercial sector in communities. In New Bedford, Mayor Jon Mitchell has proposed raising the residential rate roughly 5.1 percent while hiking the commercial rate 6.1 percent (and for all those folks about to scream at the top of their lungs, “But what about Prop 2½?,” it’s complicated but it is allowable if there’s room under the levy cap. It’s also a matter for another Download.) The rates would maintain the current ratio in the city between residential and commercial.

The head of the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce proposed shifting the burden more onto to homeowners, saying while the economy is making a recovery, it’s still fragile enough that even the slightest added weight could tip some businesses over the edge.

The recovering economy, though, is helping some communities, especially those where the housing market is on the upswing. Brookline, for example, is lowering its rate for both commercial and residential, but they can afford to because property values have increased across the board by 5.3 percent, meaning the tax bills will still go up. Commercial property has risen nearly 10 percent, which allowed selectmen to shift the burden ever so slightly to the residential side this year.

Somerville officials dropped the residential tax rate to its lowest level in four years, based mostly on rising property values and on $3.5 million in new growth. But the change also shifts more of the burden onto the commercial side, and with the development of Assembly Row, you can bet businesses will look to get some breaks in the not too distant future.

The bulk of communities in Massachusetts, though, especially out west and to the south, have a one size fits all rate, largely because of the dearth of commercial properties in their towns. CommonWealth took a look at the bifurcated system a few years back. Norwell, for instance, has a flat rate that will increase by about 3 percent this year. More than 85 percent of the town’s property is residential, meaning homeowners bear the brunt of the increase.

No matter how it goes, though, everyone is going to pay more. Just how much more and who bears the higher burden is part of the seasonal dance.

 

–JACK SULLIVAN

      

BEACON HILL

Economists tell lawmakers to expect continued sluggish economic and job growth in Massachusetts but that revenues should increase by 5 percent, the Telegram & Gazette reports. Michael Widmer, head of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, urges lawmakers to craft next year’s budget using no one-time revenues, State House News reports.

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

The Provincetown Board of Selectmen has fired the town’s police chief after several incidents including the chief’s move to direct an officer to distribute campaign signs for a town official.

Casino proponents and opponents get ready to slug it out in Revere .

Menino aides inside Boston City Hall await word on whether Marty Walsh will want any of them come January.

The Kraft Group plans a 25,000-square foot office addition to Foxboro Stadium.

NATIONAL POLITICS/WASHINGTON

US Rep. John Tierney follows the lead of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, filing a 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act that is designed to protect consumers from financial institutions that take on too much risk, the Salem News reports.

The federal budget deal could provide temporary relief for states, Governing reports. Nonprofits are ambivalent about the deal, relieved that the pact brings some stability to federal spending on grants but wary that tax deductions and food aid for the poor were not dealt with. US Rep. Paul Ryan, who finds himself in the spotlight again, goes to the National Review pulpit to sell it to his fellow conservatives. House Speaker John Boehner channels his inner Paul Krugman and lashes out against the Club for Growth and Heritage Action, saying the conservative groups are opposing the budget deal to raise their own clout in Washington.

Governing reports on how Salt Lake City solved chronic veteran homelessness.

Former senator Olympia Snowe tells Gail Collins that Republicans probably shouldn’t need remedial classes on how to speak to women in public. Collins also reveals that while Rep. Paul Ryan calls New York Rep. Nita Lowey “Mom,” Lowey calls Ryan “Naughty Boy.”

ELECTIONS

The Wu train hits some rough rails as incoming Boston city councilor Michelle Wu is getting blistered by the liberal base that elected her because of her declaration that she’ll support Southie throwback Bill Linehan for council president. Yvonne Abraham casts the vote in dire terms for the rookie pol: “It’s tough to see how she recovers if she goes through with this.”

Marty Walsh’s economic development team holds an open forum on wages, job creation, and other issues.

After the dismal turnout in Tuesday’s special election for Congress in the Fifth District,The MetroWest Daily News calls for open primaries.

Jeff McCormick, one of two announced independent candidates for governor, sits down with Greater Boston to make his case and try to raise his profile.

The de Blasios will trade Brooklyn for Gracie Mansion.

The 2014 midterms will become another referendum on Congress’s 2010 Obamacare vote, because Karl Rove says so.

Scott Brown has no current political ambitions, and he’s sure to say so in a New Hampshire diner, in front of a New York Times reporter.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

David Simon, creator of The Wire, had a thing or two to say about growing economic inequality in the US while attending a conference in Australia. So did the more than 600 people who have offered comments to his remarks, which were posted by The Guardian.

Canada plans to phase out door-to-door mail delivery in cities.

With one less week between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year and only two weeks before the end of the holiday season, the Salvation Army reports donations in the red buckets are down 30 to 50 percent across the state from last year.

The feds squeeze another $1 billion out of JP Morgan, this time to end an investigation related to the Madoff Ponzi scheme.

EDUCATION

Cancel the piano lessons.

The couple that was fired from Catholic Academy in Lawrence for having a child before getting married is planning to sue the school, the Eagle-Tribune reports.

State officials are moving to place sanctions against the owner of a Weymouth daycare and parents are seeking refunds after the center abruptly closed last week without the required 30-day notice.

HEALTH CARE

State Auditor Suzanne Bump referred the results of an audit her office performed that determined a Quincy dentist engaged in “pervasive fraud” by billing MassHealth for bogus and unallowable procedures.

TRANSPORTATION

More of the same: Cold weather arrives, the T freezes. Adding insult to injury, fare increases are on the way.

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT

The municipal light department in Sterling tests the water for building a natural gas-fired power plant, the Telegram & Gazette reports.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

In the wake of the Newtown school slaughter of 20 children and 6 adults, which many thought would galvanize gun control efforts, many states have done just the opposite and loosened gun restrictions, the Globe reports.

Edwin Alemany is indicted on 20 charges, including the murder of Amy Lord.

The credit card theft reported yesterday, which was believed to be centered on those attending two recent conventions in Boston, is now thought to be more widespread, affecting cardholders throughout the city.

MEDIA

Time selects Pope Francis as its Person of the Year.