When Mass. Gov. Maura Healey rolled out her Municipal Empowerment Act, it was framed as a toolbox for cities and towns, offering them new ways to raise revenue and manage finances at the local level. But tucked inside the legislation is a provision that would allow municipalities to triple the auto excise tax.
One challenger to Healey is saying “No Way.” Brian Shortsleeve launched an online petition opposing the measure. Shortsleeve’s argument: Massachusetts is already one of the most expensive states in the country, and giving local governments the option to dramatically increase a tax that affects nearly every household is a move in the wrong direction.
“The cost of living is spiraling,” he has said in various public statements. “Why add another pressure point at a time when people are barely keeping up?” Regardless of one’s political leanings, the sentiment taps into a widely shared frustration.
Healey, who has spent billions of tax dollars on the migrants instead of increasing local aid is now apparently looking for ways to avoid cutting local services.
Shortsleeve’s petition gives voters an easy way to register dissent. Judging by early interest, Shortsleeve has tapped into a nerve.
Whether the petition ultimately affects the fate of the Municipal Empowerment Act remains unknown. Legislative leaders have signaled support for giving municipalities more flexibility, but tax-related provisions are always hard-fought, even within the majority party.
Affordability – once a persistent background concern – has become a central political force in Massachusetts, influencing debates on housing, energy, education, and now transportation taxes. The battle over the auto excise tax is no longer a quiet line item in a legislative package, it’s a debate about who should shoulder the burden of keeping local governments solvent—and how much more Massachusetts drivers should be forced to pay.
