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North Adams Sees 4% Tax Rate Hike; Average Bill Up $65

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday night approved a tax rate of $17.39 per $1,000 valuation, up 4 percent over last year.

The increase from last year's $16.69 is expected to cost the owner of an average single-family home valued at $134,500 an extra $65 a year.

The rate was set when the council OK'd a CIP (commercial, industrial and personal property) shift of 1.71, a factor that has been in effect for several years. Without the split rate, the rate would have been $22.18 for all property.

"As we establish this CIP shift tonight, we are assuring our community that we will be able to provide services at acceptable levels," said Mayor Richard Alcombright in recommending maintaining the 1.71 shift to the commercial side.

The commercial rate rose to $37.93 per $1,000 valuation, up from $36.03 over last year.

The tax levy toward the city's $41,395,995 fiscal 2016 budget is $15,732,057, an increase of 4.75 percent over last year. 

The city's total valuation has dropped for the second consecutive year, down nearly $3 million from last year and $22 million from 2009, at the brink of the global economic collapse.

Overall, residential values are down nearly $7 million and commercial about $350,000; on the other hand, industrial values are up nearly $800,000 and personal property nearly $4 million.

Personal property was also a large part of the $11 million in new growth, accounting for about $6 million.

In response to questions from councilors, Assessor Ross Vivori said the drop in values reflects slow and lower-priced real estate sales.

"It's a combination of things, primarily it's the market, the market in the past months, the sales weren't there to increase the market values," he said. "Some of the information that was gathered during the cyclical inspection did bring the values down, not significantly, most about a $1,000."

This is a revaluation year for the city, which completed its mandatory three-year inspections and recertification by the state Department of Revenue.

The council approved with little discussion the CIP shift 6-1, with Councilor Wayne Wilkinson abstaining. Councilors Joshua Moran and Jennifer Breen were not in attendance.

In other business, the council approved the founding members of the new Public Arts Commission, which will review requests for art projects or pieces to be installed on city property. The vote was again 6-1, this time with Council President Lisa Blackmer abstaining because her husband was being appointed.

North Adams Tax Classification Fiscal 2016 by iBerkshires.com

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.