Clarksburg Sets Tax Rate, Passes Special Town Meeting Articles
 Only a few hardy souls braved the snow to attend a special town meeting at Clarksburg School. |
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Selectmen voted to approve a single tax rate at Wednesday's tax classification hearing.
The tax rate will be $14.10 per $1,000 valuation, based on revenues needed to fund the fiscal 2015 budget.
That's up 74 cents from last year's $13.36 per $1,000.
The average single-family home now assessed at $167,945.96 would have a tax bill of $2,368.04. That's up $171.87 for the average tax bill over last year, said Assessor Ross Vivori.
However, the town is still near the bottom of the list in terms of property tax bills in Berkshire County.
"There are some we'll never get below," said Town Administrator Carl McKinney, because the town didn't have a Jiminy Peak or a Bear Swamp.
Selectwoman Linda Reardon said property owners had to view the tax rate in comparison to other communities.
"When you see the whole scope of things and see where we are," said Selectwoman Linda Reardon. "It's such a personal thing you don't think of the rest of the county."
The tax classification hearing was held immediately before a special town meeting to clear up a handful of old bills and transfers.
A thin crowd of fewer than a dozen braved the weather to easily pass all the articles that included the purchase for $1 of an easement allowing the construction of a new bridge on Gates Avenue.
Voters also approved the trade in of the Ford 450 truck for a smaller one that is not expected to cost the town any money.
Transfers from the Sewer Enterprise Fund to reimburse the town for sewer work near the East Road bridge and for administrative and maintenance purposes also passed.
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The average single-family home assessed at $167,945.96 will have a tax bill of $2,368 for fiscal 2015.
The town used a percentage to calculate how much of the salaries would be funded by the account. Raymond Moulthrop suggested that employees track the time they actually work on sewer issues to determine the charges.
"This is not a fund furnished by the taxpayers, it's a fund furnished by the users," he said.
His idea was supported by Clebe Scott; the Selectmen agreed it was a reasonable idea.
The last two spending items — $7,400 to pay for an increase in electricity charges for streetlights and $1,700 for a part-time temporary worker for the Department of Public Works — were taken out of the town's free cash.
The smaller bills earlier in the meeting will be raise and appropriated, but that brought the town perilously close to its levy limit.
"We are right up against Proposition 2 1/2," said McKinney. "I'm talking like 200 bucks."
Finance Committee members Chairman Mark Denault and Lori-Anne Aubin did not vote on the free cash items.
Denault said the committee could not support dipping into free cash and until it was known what shape the fiscal 2016 budget would take.
"I know this is not a lot of money but I want you to be aware of where this coming from," he said.
Tags: property taxes, special town meeting, tax classification,
