Boston, MA - On November 21, 2024, Representative David DeCoste (R-Norwell) blocked a vote to increase commercial real estate tax in Boston. This decisive action comes as Mayor Michelle Wu continues her push to fund an ever-growing, bloated budget that has expanded annually since she took office.

Mayor Wu has taken the alarming step of threatening homeowners with massive tax hikes if she is unable to secure higher taxes on Boston’s already struggling commercial real estate sector.

Representative DeCoste warned of the broad implications of Mayor Wu’s tax proposal:

“This tax increase would have huge impacts not only on the city of Boston but on the entire Commonwealth. My constituents have a vested interest in Boston thriving as it’s a major business hub for the state. Overburdening commercial real estate with tax increases will inevitably lead to foreclosures, and there’s no doubt about that. We already have vacancy rates averaging over 40% in properties that are highly leveraged. The majority of the legislature quietly agrees with this concern, even if they won’t say it out loud.”

As Boston faces a pivotal moment, Representative DeCoste’s leadership is a call to action for fiscal responsibility and a rejection of policies that threaten to cripple the city’s economic future. The MassGOP stands firmly behind efforts to protect all of the residents and businesses of the Commonwealth from irresponsible governance and a crushing tax burden.