By Paige Albright, May 4, 2026
A ballot initiative proposed for this November’s state election, targeted at cutting personal income tax rates, could drastically reduce the support Beacon Hill provides to cities and towns. If passed by voters, the initiative to cut the tax rate from 5% to 4% would leave lawmakers with fewer resources to keep the state out of the red.
And while it is still too early to predict the exact impact on Arlington if the question passes, Town Manager Jim Feeney said it is likely to be felt across all municipal services and upend the assumptions upon which the recently approved Proposition 2½ override was based.
The current 5% personal income tax generates roughly $25 billion annually, averaging around 40% of the state’s overall budget and is the largest single source of revenue, according to reports from the Department of Revenue.
But when coupled with cuts to federal aid by the Trump administration, Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, D-Boston, the top House budget writer, called the initiative “irresponsible” during a state revenue hearing.
MassBudget Reference:
According to the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, the proposed ballot question would disproportionally benefit the top one percent of households with a tax break. As 80% of households by income would see 1/30th of the benefit, as those at the top of the tax bracket.
