Tax hike pushed for pond

June 11, 2006

Wellesley voters may be asked to raise their taxes for a second time this year, if a $1 million plan to clean up a community recreational area goes on the ballot in the fall.

The money would pay for dredging Morses Pond, installing a filtering unit, and launching a campaign to encourage developers to curb runoff.

Wellesley's Natural Resources Commission, Recreation Department and Department of Public Works are supporting the plan, which would require voters to authorize a Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion -- a temporary tax increase -- in a special referendum.

If the town doesn't act soon, town officials said, the 105-acre pond will become so choked by weeds and vegetation that parts of it will turn into a marsh.

Within a decade, the northern section of the pond could turn to marsh, said Barry Herring, chairman of the Friends of Morses Pond Association.

The association, which holds its annual meeting Tuesday, and other pond supporters will likely face a tough sales job persuading voters to approve another tax increase.

MISSY RYAN