Petition to keep school’s tax exemption

Members of the North School Preservation Society have only until January 21st to get at least 350 signatures from Springfield registered voters to keep North School and its five acres of recreation land exempt from property taxes.

Guest Donald Gurney (left) listens as board members discuss plans for the year ahead at the North School Preservation Society's first annual meeting held December 7th in the ice skaters' warming hut at North School recreation park.

Members of the North School Preservation Society, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving this property for recreation and community use, will be asking the registered voters of Springfield to sign a petition to the Board of Selectman to place on the March ballot an article to exempt the North School from taxes.

Although the school district does not pay taxes to the town, the town will tax the North School recreation land as soon as it is transferred to the North School Preservation Society unless the voters vote to excuse this tax. Unless excused, this would become the only recreation land dedicated to and used for public recreation in Springfield to be taxed. Aside from Riverside and possibly the Commons, this has become the most used winter and summer recreation area open to all Springfield residents.

To excuse this tax will not add to the tax rate as no taxes are paid on it now or ever were. Please support this petition so that we may continue to provide the community of Springfield with a space for recreation.

If you would like to sign the petition, please contact myself, Jean Willard at 886-2730, or Francine Provost at 886-1186, or any of our members.

JEAN M. WILLARD
(Vice president, North School Preservation Society)

Click here for a copy of the petition