Oct 6, 2022
From Amesbury and Bridgewater to Windsor and Worcester, Question 1 Gaining Support from Communities Large and Small Across Massachusetts
BOSTON – The ‘Fair Share for Massachusetts’ campaign today announced that city councils, select boards, and school committees representing more than 50 communities across the state have endorsed Question 1, the proposed ‘Fair Share Amendment’ that would tax incomes above $1 million and raise billions of dollars that are constitutionally dedicated to transportation and public education.
“The Springfield City Council voted to support Question 1 because it will mean more money to fix potholes, hire teachers, and repair aging bridges and school buildings,” said Springfield City Council President Jesse Lederman. “Question 1 will mean Springfield finally gets our fair share when it comes to education and transportation infrastructure to support the next generation. I’m voting YES on Question 1 for a better future.”
In recent months, resolutions supporting the Fair Share Amendment, Question 1 on the November ballot, have been passed by 19 city councils, 16 town select boards, and 27 school committees, collectively representing more than 50 communities across Massachusetts. Communities range in size from rural towns such as Windsor (population 831) and New Salem (population 983), to many of the Commonwealth’s largest cities, including Worcester, Springfield, and Boston.
“I, along with many in the Town of Arlington, realize that providing better transportation and education for everyone will benefit all cities and towns and boost the growth of our entire Commonwealth,” said Len Diggins, Chair of the Arlington Select Board. “Those with little wealth will have more opportunities to realize their potential, and the increase in economic activity will even benefit those with more wealth! The pie will get bigger; we will all win!”
At city council, select board, and school committees over the past few months, municipal supporters of Question 1 have spoken about how the constitutional amendment would help their communities by making our tax system fairer and providing substantial resources for education and transportation investments.
“Súper emocionada de ver presentado está resolución en apoyo en la Enmienda De Parte Justa, junto a mis colegas del concilio nosotros estamos comprometidos en crear mejores oportunidades para nuestras comunidades y esta propuesta de ley trae los recursos para invertir en educación, y la infraestructura de transportación para todos en Massachusetts,” said Lawrence City Councilor Celina Reyes in August. (Translation: “I’m super excited to see this resolution presented in support of the Fair Share Amendment, together with my council colleagues. We are committed to creating better opportunities for our communities and this bill brings the resources to invest in education and transportation infrastructure for all in Massachusetts.”
“I am proud to sponsor this resolution in support of the Fair Share Amendment, a statewide tax on millionaires that will then bring millions in funding to the very school district I was raised in,” said Salem School Committee Vice Chair Manny Cruz in June. “With the dollars raised we can uplift our school communities through providing the smaller class sizes, social-emotional supports, extra tutoring, and additional counselors, nurses, and social workers that our students deserve.”
“Many of us came to and continue to live in Newburyport because of all the assets that the state brings in terms of an educated workforce and other important public infrastructure,” said Newburyport At-Large Councillor Edward Cameron in May. “These proposed Fair Share Amendment revenues going towards education and transportation will definitely be part and parallel to keeping it that way.”
The full list of endorsing city/town councils and school committees is below:
Amesbury City Council
Amherst City Council
Arlington Select Board
Ashfield Select Board
Becket Select Board
Boston City Council
Bridgewater City Council
Cambridge City Council
Colrain Select Board
Conway Select Board
Dalton Select Board
Easthampton City Council
Fall River City Council
Gill Select Board
Holyoke City Council
Lawrence City Council
Lee Select Board
Leverett Select Board
Lynn City Council
Medford City Council
Montague Select Board
New Bedford City Council
New Salem Select Board
Newburyport City Council
Newton City Council
North Adams City Council
Northampton City Council
Northfield Select Board
Otis Select Board
Pittsfield City Council
Shutesbury Select Board
Somerset Select Board
Somerville City Council
Springfield City Council
Windsor Select Board
Worcester City Council
Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee
Amherst School Committee
Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee (Amherst, Pelham, Leverett, & Shutesbury)
Arlington School Committee
Braintree School Committee
Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School Committee
Burlington School Committee
Cambridge School Committee
Central Berkshire Regional School Committee (Becket, Cummington, Dalton, Hinsdale, Peru, Washington, & Windsor)
Greenfield School Committee
Lee School Committee
Leverett School Committee
Lexington School Committee
Malden School Committee
Medford School Committee
New Bedford School Committee
New Salem and Wendell School Committee
North Adams School Committee
Northampton School Committee
Pittsfield School Committee
Salem School Committee
Somerset School Committee
Somerset-Berkley Regional School Committee
Somerville School Committee
Springfield School Committee
Watertown School Committee
Worcester School Committee
Background on Question 1: the Fair Share Amendment
The Fair Share Amendment – Question 1 on the November ballot – will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share. Question 1 would create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and constitutionally dedicate the funds to be spent on transportation and public education. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, roads, bridges, and public transportation.
Thousands of educators, workers, small business owners, parents, faith leaders, municipal officials, drivers and transit riders, and more than 350 organizations across the state are working together to pass Question 1. Our campaign has been endorsed by 80 labor unions, 63 community organizing groups, 15 faith-based groups, more than 75 businesses, and more than 100 other social service and not-for-profit organizations focused on housing, education, transportation, public health, and the environment. Learn more and get involved at FairShareMA.com.
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The Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is led by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity. Since our coalition came together in 2013, we have nearly doubled wages for hundreds of thousands of working people by winning two increases in the state’s minimum wage, won best-in-the-nation earned sick time and paid family and medical leave benefits for workers and their families, and started to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top.