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Cambridge leaders urge Dorchester County to preserve municipal tax differential during budget talks
Summary
Mayoral and municipal leaders pressed the Dorchester County Council during a May 6 public hearing to keep the municipal tax differential intact, proposing loans from the county fund balance and other steps to avoid steep tax increases in Cambridge and other towns.
Cambridge Mayor Lejane Cephas and several municipal officials urged the Dorchester County Council on May 6 to retain a municipal tax differential the county is considering removing as it works to balance the FY26 budget.
The appeal came during a public hearing on the county's proposed budget. “A loss for Dorchester County is a loss for Cambridge,” Mayor Lejane Cephas said, urging the council to protect the differential and proposing alternatives including a short-term loan from the county's fund balance and cutting paving by three miles to save about $600,000.
The plea followed a presentation by county staff showing a general fund cash-on-hand balance of $29,744,198.39. Cambridge officials said removing the differential would have immediate effects on home sales and affordability: Mayor Cephas told the council the city added about $40 million in taxable property…
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