NORTHAMPTON — John Martine says he was a “faithful taxpayer,” paying about $4,000 annually for his Florence home where he has lived for six years.
“I didn’t miss a day,” he said.
But, about a year ago, that changed. He has stopped paying his property taxes and said he won’t pay until his road, Beattie Drive, is repaved. “It began as a simple protest — a tax boycott,” he said.
Pointing to a crumbling section of the street near the end of his driveway, he said, “To look at that every freaking morning is disgusting.” The Florence street is about 600 yards long with fewer than 10 houses on it, Martine estimates. There are sections of the road that are cracked and crumbling, along with potholes.
Martine himself is not worried about tripping when out walking, but he is worried about the children who live on his street. He said the road condition has long been “atrocious.”
After advocating for the road to be repaved, he consulted a lawyer about not paying his taxes, who he said told him, “Don’t even consider doing it — you could lose your house.”
But, he thought, “Maybe the squeaky wheel technique will work.” Since he stopped paying taxes, he said, he’s gotten more attention from the city about his issue, and he is not worried about losing his home.
Though he is not paying his property taxes, “that is not what I want to zero in on,” he said. He said he feels more sympathy for the city after hearing from his Ward 6 city councilor, Marianne LaBarge, that Northampton doesn’t have the money for the project.
It would cost $100,000 to repave his street, according to a quote Martine got from a paving company that he provided the Gazette. He recently started the Beattie Drive Association to fundraise money to repair the road. Though he invited neighbors to a meeting earlier this month, he said they did not come.
He said he has raised a small amount of money so far. “I’ve got to do my part for my street,” he said. “If I have to sell brownies, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
He wants a meeting with city officials, and said he will be inviting them to the Beattie Drive Association’s upcoming meeting. “Can we all just sit down and talk about this?” he said. “Conflict resolution happens best when people sit down and talk.”
Mayor David Narkewicz said the city has made its position clear to Martine.
“I don’t really believe that a meeting is going to change any of the information that we have already provided to him in multiple forms,” Narkewicz said.
He cited communication from Department of Public Works director Donna LaScaleia, who told Martine in an email sent in mid-September, “I drove your street this morning and while it is deteriorated, I do not find it in poor condition relative to other streets in your neighborhood or the City as a whole. I will also mention that we still have roads that aren’t even paved, including in Ward 6.”
The DPW makes its decisions based on “hard data,” she wrote. “When we review and select paving projects, we have an obligation to select the streets in the worst condition. Additionally, we strongly favor those streets with high traffic counts and/or failing water or sewer utilities. Beattie Drive is not in poor condition relative to much of the other 160 miles of roadway in the City, and is a side street with a low daily traffic count.”
In recent years, Ward 6 roads that were repaved include Burts Pit Road and Ryan Road, Narkewicz said, adding that Loudville Road is one that has been prioritized for future repairs.
“We don’t make paving decisions based on people’s payment or non-payment of property taxes,” Narkewicz said, “and we’ve tried to let him know that and expressed concern about that decision because we’re required statutorily to charge penalties and interest for nonpayment.”
Martine said he has received letters from the city warning that his interest charges are growing. Narkewicz said that, as of mid-September, Martine owed more than $6,800.
Fundraising for street repair is unusual, Narkewicz said. “I can’t remember a time when people have fundraised to pave a street.” But the city accepts donations, sometimes for specific projects, he said.
The Beattie Drive Association’s next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 10, and to get information about the location, Martine said to email him at johnmartine88@yahoo.com.
“It’s not about trying to shame and blame, it’s about coming up with creative solutions,” he said of his group, adding that he still plans to not pay his property taxes until the road is paved.
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com.
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