Image via the the John Rockefeller Williamsburg collection.
— Quincy Massachusetts News by Quincy Quarry News – News, Opinion and Commentary
Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch to impose record-breaking going away property tax increases come Calendar Year 2026?
In what has become a Quincy Quarry News tradition in recent years, the Quarry is now endeavoring to go three for three over three years in a row to effectively project how much local homeowners should expect their residential property tax bills will go up in the fast approaching 2026 tax year as City Hall does not do so.
Case in point, the quants at the Quarry all but nailed the 2024 tax increase with its prediction for at least a painful 7.7% increase to upwards of a stones-busting 8.8% increase as the actual increase ended up to be at least a Koch era 8.3% record increase.
For 2026, the Quarry had to up its game as it first had to confirm that roughly $26 million more in spending obligations in Fiscal Year 2026 looks to need to be added to the $36 million spending increase indicated per Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch’s city council-approved FY 2026 budget.
So combined, city spending looks to be heading up by just short of 15% for FY 2026.
Further ugly, there is as much as $22 million or more in city obligations over several recent fiscal years that were not budget funded and thus not duly covered, however, the Quarry is setting aside these millions from consideration.
For now anyway.
In any event, unless Quincy Mayor Koch has a honey pot or pots unknown to the Quarry, local homeowners should prepare for face a record setting property tax bills on the order of at least 10% to perhaps north of 12%.
At the same time as well as in the meanwhile, do keep the following in mind: dimes are dropping Quincy Quarry’s way that Mayor Koch’s Director of Municipal Finance has apparently as well as quietly in recent days left the job after years of playing a key role in koching-up the city’s finances and often via all manner of koch and mirrors.
Even so, the now-former director might so end for the most part escaping unscathed by sure to be angry taxpayers when expected to be outsized property tax bill increases hit the fan in four short months.
Further, if reports of the rumored departure are accurate, so bailing would be happening at arguably the worst time of the year to do so.
Reasons for this assessment include that not only it is currently time to close out the City’s books for FY 2025, it is also time to start preparing to do battle with the Department of Revenue over the setting of the local property tax rates for CY 2026 and which will play a key roll in the calculating of 2026 property tax bills.
Mayor Koch needs to be reeled in!
Methinks something more on the order of his caponizing and I am not referring to Alphonse.
What about calling for an audit? Can the state auditor audit cities?
The Massachusetts State Auditor can audit towns and cities in the Commonwealth as well as is very well-qualified to do so.
Even better, the State Auditor’s billing rate for such a special audit would be very competitive with if not a lot less than what a private sector firm would charge.
A small rub, however, local government has to ask the State Auditor to come in to review the books AND pay for the audit.
As such, in spite of the mayor’s free spending way — if not instead given them, such ain’t happening absent.
Koch is a money-grubbing greedy politician who cares only about the wealthy who shower down on his campaign fund and likely even more on his off the city’s books vanity pet projects. Shame on him as he is a repulsive human being. How does he sleep at night with a clear conscience!!!!!!!
Because it’s NOT his money that he’s basically flushing down the toilet! 🤡
What conscience?
Are you kidding me? My social security check isn’t going up anywhere near this amount. But I suppose that’s the whole idea, price seniors out of their homes and free up property for younger, wealthier newcomers. My family has been living in Quincy for over 100 years. When we are forced to move because the taxes are ridiculous, our time as a Quincy family will end, but at least we won’t have to worry about covering the ever rising bill.
Let us not forget that the council approves all the mayors underfunded projects. You want to make a change make sure you vote on 9/2 and again in November. There is a chance to put new faces on the council and not the same rubber stampers.
Some of the incumbents must be running scared the green signs for one rubber stamper are beginning to pollute the landscape again this year. They know how to plop signs on every corner (many are not legal) but try getting a response to an email or call, radio silence!
Howard,
Now, now — be nice to Boner. The city council’s emptiest suit going away truly believes that he will be Quincy’s next mayor and is thus a delusive or three more from ending up in a locked ward.
So I guess the Police and Firefighters have seen that the mayor will give corporate welfare to millionaires and at least one billionaire so, they now want their fair share of the pie.
If the cops and firefighters want the statues and feel entitled to the statues, let them pay for them rather than the taxpayers. Start a Go Fund Me account.
“It would be “a hurtful badge of shame for the firefighters and police” if a judge were to grant the plaintiffs’ request for a court order barring installation of the sculptures until the case reaches a final judgment, according to a court filing submitted by attorney Michael Gilleran.” “He pointed out Tom Bowes, president of Quincy’s firefighters union, who was seated in the gallery. Bowes, who is Koch’s nephew …”
FYI John: As plaintiffs’ counsel reminded the judge in open court earlier this week, the city has agreed on the record to not install the statues until the court rules on the do not install them injunction request filed by plaintiffs.
With winged Michael the Archangel clearly a religious statue and not duly canonized Florian indisputably portrayed in iconography consistent with his patron status, do not be surprised if the defense counsel’s woeful briefs and arguments go down in flames in a five alarm fire at the next court appearance in four weeks.
Is it any surprise that now the police and Fire Unions are now openly supporting Mayor Koch putting up his religious statues?
No, it’s common knowledge that the reason Koch keeps getting re-elected is because of the city workers (but not teachers) who, for a lot of them, owe their jobs to Koch. No matter what the unions or Koch say, the statues are of significance primarily only to Catholics. I don’t know of any saints in the Protestant or Jewish or Muslim or Hindu nor if they even have any?
It’s time to vote for a new city council so that the council will not keep rubber stamping what the mayor wants. If not, I’m sure the mayor will have more giveaways up his sleeve for the next 2 years.
Good luck Anne Mahoney!!!
Oh, sweet baby budget, here we go again! Mayor Koch is apparently auditioning for Fiscal Magician of the Year—now you see $36 million in “planned” spending, poof! Add another $26 million in surprise obligations, and what do you get? A jaw-dropping almost 15% spending increase that translates to a 10–12% property tax smackdown on homeowners next year.
But wait, there’s more! Let’s conveniently “set aside” that extra $22 million lurking in past unpaid responsibilities — because who needs transparency when you’ve got political theater and surprise financial boogeymen for homeowners?
And the cherry on top? The Municipal Finance Director quietly quits—right as the city is supposed to settle FY 2025’s books and contend with the Department of Revenue on setting the 2026 property tax rate. Bad timing, or perfect timing for disappearing before the taxpayers get the bill? So there you have it: Koch’s “fiscal fireworks” show is less spectacle, more spectator—-with homeowners left holding the flaming torch and chanting, “More money, less accountability.
But the developers are happy. Whatever they want, it seems that Koch is happy to provide — tax incentives (free rides), enhanced infrastructure, landscaping, numerous and various building variances. A city of ugly, boring apartment buildings. mostly passé restaurants, and bars.
The Koch city council has the rubber stamps always at the ready. On and on it goes.
The rest of us are lucky to have our streets plowed in the winter.
Let’s not forget to mention the $850,000 RELIGIOUS STATUES intended to be attached to a public, government building. And, though I can’t imagine what the tab was, the obscene gate at Mt. Wollaston Cemetery — way out of character and style for the cemetery. Again, abysmally poor taste. Those gold plated cherubs and other chintzy ornaments look like the tacky crap festooning Trump’s oval office makeover.