City Gets Official Notice on Tax Cuts

The state officially sent Cambridge the bad news on Proposition 2 1/2 yesterday, informing City Manager James L. Sullivan by letter that the city would have to cut taxes by $11,994,214 in the next fiscal year.

The state figures--prepared in the month since Bay State voters passed the tax-cutting measure--show that the city, with a total tax levy last year of nearly $80 million, was more than $43 million above the total allowed under Proposition 2 1/2.

Cambridge will have to reduce its levy to about $36 million over the next few years, cutting property taxes 15 per cent a year until they are no more than 2 1/2 per cent of assessed valuation.

City officials have already predicted massive layoffs over the next few years, beginning this winter. The city will lose almost $3 million from reductions in auto excise tax revenues this year.

The state letter, from the Department of Revenue, instructs local officials "not to put off preparation of budgets" in the hope that the state legislature will amend provisions of the controversial proposition.

In other news, the City Council officially endorsed the efforts of Amnesty International, a group working for the release of prisoners of conscience, and formed a sub-committee to write letters to city governments accused of human rights violations.

Two councilors--Thomas Danehy and Walter Sullivan--voted present on the measure, because, in the words of Danehy, "They're not doing enough for the people in Northern Ireland." A third--Saundra Graham--backed the bill only after she was assured the group investigated human rights violations in this country as well as foreign lands.

An Amnesty International staffer, Josh Rubinstein, told the councilors that they might be able to persuade city officials around the world to cease human rights violations and plead the cases of city officials held as political prisoners.