ADAMS - Property owners may catch a break on their taxes for the fiscal 2008 after the Board of Selectmen approved a lowered rate at its meeting Wednesday night.
Following a presentation from Assessor Donna MacDonald and a recommendation from Town Administrator William Ketcham, Selectmen settled on a 125 percent shift, or the apportionment of taxes raised between residential and commercial properties.
The higher the shift, the higher the percentage of taxes raised from commercial and industrial properties.
Selectmen decided to lower the rate from last year's 135 percent, which was selected to reduce the strain on area homeowners in fiscal 2007.
The tax rate will drop for both types of property this year. Residential property owners will be taxed $15.02 per $1,000 of assessed value; commercial and industrial property owners will pay $20.68 per $1,000 assessed value. Farmland is considered commercial property.
Last year's rates were $15.21 for homeowners and $21.96 for commercial property owners.
"We do what we can to keep it low and reduce the burden on seniors," said Selectmen Edward Macdonald at the meeting. "We're trying everything we can to control our rate."
Owning a residential property assessed at $165,000 - the average value of assessed property in town - would cost $2,478 in property taxes.
During the tax classification public hearing, resident and Selectmen meeting regular Jeffrey Lefebvre demanded the board determine "how the town will move forward" in its consideration of the tax rate, prompting Macdonald and Chairman Joseph R. Dean Jr. to defend their decisions.
"We're running right where we should be," said Dean. "But we aren't magicians. Our job is to protect the town property. We don't waste money; we work with the figures we have. We take the cut on this end. Everything has gone up - electric, gas, fuel. How do you expect taxes to go down? You're going to have to sacrifice services if you want it to go down."
The fiscal 2008 budget for the town is $13,331,526.73.
"We have a limited amount of money. We don't have the magic bullet; we're under the same classification as the rest of the state," said Macdonald, who noted that the state cut the budget 36 percent this year. "We've got three options: we can borrow from the state, we can borrow from the bank, or we can raise taxes. We're doing what we can."
Ketcham recommended a 125 percent shift, which would bring the town closer to its original goal of maintaining a 118 percent shift.
"But I don't want the taxes to be cut so low so that people think it could stay at an artificial rate," he said.
The Selectmen voted unanimously on the 130 percent shift. Board member Donald Sommer was absent.
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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
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