Today's poll: Should major nonprofits offer payments in lieu of taxes to the cities and towns they call home?
The Forecast
The bright light you saw on the horizon this morning was caused by an astronomical object that scientists call "the sun." You can learn more about it at NASA's website.
The National Weather Service predicts that this "sun" will be visible overhead for most of the day, causing temperatures to rise to a high of 79 degrees.
Although it has been elusive for the past who can really remember how long, this very large star -- located 93 million miles from Earth -- is expected to appear again on Thursday, producing weather humans tend to regard as "pleasant," with highs around 80.
Today's Poll
The Republican's Peter Goonan reports that Baystate Health has agreed to provide a $250,000 payment to Springfield in lieu of taxes in the coming fiscal year. That amount is half of what Baystate has paid annually for the past five years under an agreement that expires June 30.
While Baystate is tax-exempt, the institution agreed to a $500,000 annual payment-in-lieu-of-taxes in 2006, with the amount increasing by 2.5 percent each year. That agreement was negotiated by the state-imposed Finance Control Board and former Mayor Charles V. Ryan.
Under the new agreement, Baystate Health's payment to the city will drop to $150,000 in fiscal year 2013, and to $100,000 in fiscal year 2014.
The city is evaluating how feasible it is to solicit voluntary contributions from other major nonprofit institutions.
What do you think -- should major nonprofits offer payments in lieu of taxes to the cities and towns they call home? Vote in our poll and check back tomorrow for the results.
Tuesday's results: Yesterday we asked, "Do you agree with Springfield City Council's decision to revoke the permit for the proposed East Springfield biomass plant?" 11 people voted. 54.55% said "No"; 45.45% said "Yes".
Tuesday's Top 5
The top 5 headlines on MassLive.com on May 24 were:
- 2011 High School of Commerce prom [photo gallery]
- 2011 Ludlow High School Prom[photo gallery]
- Ware High School Prom [photo gallery]
- 2011 Renaissance School Jr and Sr. Prom [photo gallery]
- 32-year-old man, found with gunshot wound at Shell station in Northampton, tells police he had just been shot in Holyoke
Quote of the Day
“Creating 200,000 jobs across the country last month made headlines. But in other recoveries it was not unusual to create 300,000 or 400,000 jobs in a month. There is a broad-based economic recovery. But boy is it ever at a snail’s pace.”
&mdash Robert A. Nakosteen, professor of economics and statistics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management, on the latest unemployment figures. Read Jim Kinney's story here.