Letter to the Editor

Standing up for those who serve

Monday evening Councilor Mike Mangan sponsored a resolution asking that the city consider waiving the excise tax for all active military personal living in Everett. As a current constituent of Councilor Mangan, I contacted him a few weeks ago asking him to sponsor this idea after I read about former Everett city councilor and current Methuen city councilor Tom Ciulla sponsoring this same idea in Methuen. Councilor Mangan was immediately receptive to the idea and was eager to take action.

When I first heard about this resolution being passed in Methuen, I got in touch with Councilor Ciulla and gathered information on his idea. Councilor Ciulla explained to me that he received a phone call from one of his constituents, whose daughter is in the US Army and stationed in Fort Drum, New York. This individual has served her country overseas and her mother believed it wasn’t fair that her daughter had to pay excise tax when she was not even living here and using her vehicle in the city, or indeed the state.

Ciulla immediately called the Methuen City Attorney to draft a resolution that would waive this tax for active service members. He also contacted his state representative and requested that she file a bill to provide this exemption to all active members of the military in Massachusetts. He also plans to ask his Congresswoman to file a similar bill at the federal level.

I am pleased that the city council acted swiftly and referred this matter to the City Solicitor’s office for more information as well as Mayor’s Office, Senator DiDomenico and Representative McGonagle. I ask that legislation be drafted in the near future giving these brave men and women relief as soon as possible.

I’ve said from the beginning that this campaign is about you, the people of Everett, getting everything they deserve from their elected officials. I’m a new type of leader, willing to take the best ideas out there and bring them to Everett. I’ll respect everybody as a city councilor and I’ll always fight to make sure your voice is being heard.

I firmly believe it’s important to help our service members in any way we can. These men and women put their lives on the line each and every day to protect our freedoms. The least we can do for them in return is stop them from being charged a tax when they are not driving on our roads. Thank you, God Bless the City of Everett and God Bless the United States of America.

Anthony DiPierro, Candidate for Ward 3 Councilor

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