Politics & Government

Bus Company on the Hook for $20K Tax Bill Issued to Attleboro School Department

Bloom Bus Company will be issued the $20,000 tax that was billed by the City of Attleboro to the Attleboro School District.

A private bus company that transports students to and from Attleboro schools will be on the hook for a $20,000 tax bill that was issued to the School Department by the City of Attleboro.

School Department Business Manager Marc Furtado said the school department could not pay the and then through Mayor Kevin Dumas asked that the city pay the bill.

"I can't pay that," Furtado told the Attleboro City Councilors Tuesday night. "I don't want to go to jail."

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Furtado said he was surprised by the final tax bill. "He told me there could be a problem," Furtado said of City Tax Assessor Stan Nacewicz. "I thought he was talking about an excise tax. Clearly that's not what he meant."

Nacewicz assured the City Council that the bus company, H&L Bloom Company, would have to pay the tax bill and the interest on the upaid bill because it is a for-profit business.

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"If the use is for a for profit business there is a tax implied," Nacewicz told councilors. "There is case law that will back me up. We are on solid ground so long as documents are in order."

The controversial tax opened a can of worms for Attleboro City Councilors who questioned how a private bus company was allowed to park its fleet of buses on city-owned property at the in the first place and whether other bus companies bidding for the were given the same opportunity. 

One by one City Councilors grilled Furtado.

"This is a horrible contract, an absolutely horrible contract," Councilor Duff White told Furtado. Councilor Marc Cooper asked about the environmental impact the buses had on residents who live near the high school. Councilor Richard Conti asked about the number of parking spots that the fleet of buses take. "It is 625 parking spots short-that's absurd," Conti said."We should be looking at cancelling this bus contract and putting out for bid another contract with part of contract being construction of a parking lot."

Furtado said the parking agreement is not a perpetual condition and that the contract with Bloom does not go beyond June 30.

"You now have marching orders and the issues that need to be looked at for constituents, kids and tax payers," Budget and Apropriations Chairman Brian Kirby said. "I think the job can be done and those of us here are willing to work with you to find that."


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