Good citizenship for tax exempt organizations!!

One town looking to a local college for money!

In this case, it’s Stonehill College in Easton, which pays $20,000 a year to the town of Easton to offset what it costs the town to provide services.

As Selectwoman Colleen Carona says “We’re looking for every way we can to maximize our earning power.”

Every city and town in Massachusetts is facing a budget crunch brought on by rising costs and a stream of state aid that has been reduced by more than 40 tax cuts in the last 10 years. And, like many cities and towns in Massachusetts, Easton is taking a hard look at its relationship with Stonehill.

The 75 calls from Stonehill College that the Easton Fire Department responded to cost the town an estimated $68,365. That’s just one town department.

In addition to the fire department services rendered to Stonehill, they receive the benefits of other public structures in Easton that provides for all residents like garbage pick up, water, sewerage disposal, public safety and other public services that most of us take for granted every day.

Most other towns in Massachusetts with large non-profits are simply trying to determine what is a fair amount. That could easily vary. Should a university with an endowment of, say, $34.9 billion pay at the same rate as a smaller college?

Nobody in Easton is suggesting that Stonehill pay the full $1.25 million it would pay were assessed as a business or private residence. But it’s clear that the $20,000 the college has been paying ain’t gonna cut it.