Town appeals to Stonehill for more cash

As communities search for new ways to cover costs, at least one town is looking to a local college for money.

Easton officials hope that Stonehill College will contribute more to the town, to offset what Easton pays each year to provide services to the school.

Representatives of both sides are poised to begin discussion of a new town-gown partnership. Town officials hope an agreement can be hammered out by fall.

The college, as an educational institution and religious organization, is exempt from paying real estate taxes to Easton. Instead, Stonehill provides a $20,000 annual gift, which is split among the public library, schools, Council on Aging and recreation department.

According to Easton's assessor, Anne Carney, the assessed value of Stonehill's properties totals more than $108 million. If it were taxed, the amount owed to the town for fiscal 2008 would have been about $1.25 million, Carney said.

"We're trying to look for every way we can to maximize our earning power," said Colleen Corona, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen. "We have a good relationship with Stonehill. We're just looking to work cooperatively to review our agreement with them."

In late spring, Town Administrator David Colton wrote to Stonehill's president, the Rev. Mark Cregan, asking college representatives to meet with town leaders to discuss the establishment of a new agreement.

"As finances and budget gaps become a continual issue facing most Massachusetts cities and towns, tax exempt institutions are looked to for greater contributions than in the past," wrote Colton.

Cregan recently responded to Colton's letter, saying he "welcomed discussion" of a growing partnership between Stonehill and the town, and he was willing to revisit the issue of the annual gift. Cregan pointed out the benefits the college already provides to residents, such as use of its athletic fields and library.

Easton officials point to Amherst College, in Western Massachusetts, as an example of an educational institution stepping up to pay its fair share of the local financial burden. Amherst College recently agreed to pay its host town $120,000 annually, beginning in the fiscal year that starts on July 1.

"Although termed a 'beneficiary' agreement and not tied to a particular service, background details indicate that public safety costs were central to negotiations," Colton said.

Colton said those costs in Easton are currently being carried by the taxpayers.

While Stonehill has its own campus police, the Easton Police Department provides support with tasks such as investigation and public education. The town's Fire Department last year responded to 75 calls from the Stonehill campus. Colton calculated the calls cost the town $68,365.

"At least in theory, a payment of $68,365 from Stonehill College to Easton would have ended the taxpayer subsidy of fire and ambulance service to the college," Colton said.

"Our challenge is to define the meaning of good citizenship for tax exempt organizations," Colton continued. "Paying a fair share of the cost of services should be included in the definition."

Colton noted the discussion will also include other types of benefits the college can provide, such as scholarships to local students. "There is a lot that can be put on the table," he said. "I'm just happy we got a positive response. They are good people, and I'm sure they'll do the right thing."

"Stonehill has a first-class relationship with the town, and we've had it since 1948," Stonehill spokesman Martin McGovern said last week. "Now we just have to establish the dates for the meetings. We look forward to that in keeping with being good neighbors and continuing to build strong town-gown relations."

In neighboring Norton, town officials are happy with the contribution from their resident college, Wheaton.

Town Manager James Purcell said Wheaton College already supplies local students with scholarships. It recently helped purchase some speed monitors for the Police Department, and it pays half of the yearly Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority's assessment to Norton for public transportation, since a large number of users are Wheaton students.

"We haven't reached out for any payment-in-lieu-of-tax agreement, but we do a whole lot together," Purcell said.

Still, Norton Selectman Robert Kimball said town leaders will be closely watching the progress of the discussion between Easton officials and Stonehill.

Wheaton College is one of the town's top taxpayers, Kimball said. "The buildings for education aren't taxed, but the college is taxed for faculty housing and any open-space land they own in town," Kimball said.

According to Norton Treasurer-Collector Jackie Boudreau, the college paid $102,928 for those holdings in the current year. "But it nowhere meets what taxes would be if they were made to pay for all their properties," Boudreau added. The college properties are worth $125 million, she said.

Kimball said the college has been generous to the town. "They gave us a library to re-use for the next 100 years," he said. "But we'll keep an eye on how negotiations go in Easton."

Christine Legere can be reached at christinelegere@yahoo.com.