Letter: UMass Amherst Should Be Part of the State’s PILOT Reimbursement Program

The following letter was sent to the Amherst Town Manager and Amherst Town Council on July 9, 2026.

UMass Amherst is the Commonwealth’s flagship campus, but Amherst alone absorbs most of the local costs of hosting it. Police, fire, roads, and other services must support a large, tax‑exempt institution, while the town cannot collect the property taxes a comparable private development would generate. Voluntary payments from UMass, while appreciated, are not a true, predictable PILOT and leave Amherst structurally under‑compensated.

The state already acknowledges that municipalities deserve reimbursement for state‑owned, tax‑exempt land through its existing PILOT framework. Yet the land under UMass Amherst is effectively treated as an exception, even though the fiscal impact on Amherst is greater than many other state properties. This gap is a policy choice, not an inevitability—and it can be changed only if Amherst clearly and consistently asks the Legislature to change it.

As town councilors and the town manager, you are in the best position to lead a more assertive, constructive effort. That could mean adopting a formal policy goal that UMass Amherst’s footprint be explicitly included in the state’s compensation formulas; building a coalition with other university‑host communities; and requesting specific legislation or budget language that ties state PILOT funds to large state campuses.

A more aggressive approach does not have to be hostile. It can be framed as aligning state policy with shared values of fairness and partnership: Amherst gladly hosts the flagship university, and in return the Commonwealth ensures that the town is not penalized for doing so. By moving this conversation from “voluntary contribution” to “state responsibility,” you can protect Amherst’s long‑term fiscal health and make clear that supporting UMass Amherst should be a statewide obligation, not just a local subsidy.

Ira Bryck has lived in Amherst since 1993, ran the Family Business Center for 25 years, hosted the “Western Mass. Business Show” on WHMP for seven years, now coaches business leaders, and is a big fan of Amherst’s downtown.

See related: Establishing the Commission on PILOT for State-Owned Land (mass.gov)