Reexamining a Massachusetts hospital's debt to community

Newton-Wellesley Hospital's bid to expand into Framingham, MA, has reignited an old debate: whether a nonprofit facility's services to the community outweigh the loss in property tax dollars. A Newton alderman is urging city officials to compare the value of the hospital's services with the taxes it would pay were it not exempt. Also, a Framingham planning official has told Newton-Wellesley to return with a "grown-up" offer of compensation if it wants to build an outpatient surgical facility in Framingham.