SWAMPSCOTT— Residents voted in favor of increasing taxes for Tedesco Country Club at a Special Town Meeting Monday night.
Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald led a presentation in which he proposed exempting the country club from Massachusetts General Law 61B, which limits property taxes on qualifying land to no more than 25% of its fair cash value. Fitzgerald’s proposal also includes the town’s retainment of first refusal in any future transaction involving Tedesco.
Fitzgerald expressed his disagreement with the law in that it includes venues such as golf courses as part of the “classified forest, agricultural, horticultural, and recreational land.”
“They put some language in here for golfing, and boating. My concern is that frankly it’s inconsistent with the spirit of what’s in our general welfare,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s not really preserving and protecting in the way that helps support these broader ideals.”
He revealed that in 2023, Tedesco saved $174,997 in taxes due to the law. Fitzgerald credited former Select Board member Polly Titcomb for being outspoken about the situation and bringing it to his attention.
The majority of attending town meeting voters expressed general agreement that Tedesco should be paying more in taxes. However, they were not without questions. One resident asked if Fitzgerald had consulted with Tedesco management before proposing the article.
“I did not specifically ask permission from Tedesco to recommend this,” Fitzgerald answered.
One resident asked if Fitzgerald had communicated with Marblehead leadership about the situation, as a portion of Tedesco lies in Marblehead. Fitzgerald said that Marblehead’s relationship with Tedesco is more advantageous than Swampscott, as it gets revenue from food and beverage sales.
Board of Assessors Chair Tasia Vasiliou expressed disagreement with the procedure of the proposal, and took to the microphone to suggest an alternative approach.
“The reality is that they (Tedesco) meet the criteria for the 61B. And in turn, we have the right of first refusal,” Vasiliou said. “I think the better way to go is to go to the legislature and have them change the law so that it is better on both sides.”
She added that she feels the town retaining its right of first refusal is its attempt to “have its cake and eat it too.”
Vasiliou also asked if any other municipalities have undertaken something similar, and Fitzgerald responded by saying Belmont Town Meeting passed a resolution to exempt the town from 61B.
Prior to the Tedesco taxation article, voters also approved three financial articles for allocating $186,001 in state aid for the school department, allocating $26,445 in state reimbursement funds to the school department for homeless and foster care transportation, and the funding of a collective bargaining agreement with the Department of Public Works Union respectively.
