Worcester, Mass., wants colleges to help with municipal costs

Over the last two years, the city of Worcester, Mass., has made about 2,300 public safety responses to places where local college students reside, costing taxpayers about $1.5 million. Some council members want to have local colleges and other large nonprofit, tax-exempt institutions participate in a program in which they would voluntarily make payments to the city. Private colleges have tax-exempt status and are not required to pay property taxes, which are used to finance municipal government.