News & Notes: Pittsfield Tax Rate Up; Gas Rate Down
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council approved the 2009 residential and business property tax rate on Tuesday night, raising both rates.
The residential tax rate will be $13.67 per $1,000 of assessed value. That translates into an $86 increase for the average single family home. For example, a typical single-family home will be billed at just under $2,600.
As for the business tax rate, that went up an extra penny to address concerns over the city's overlay account by the Department of Revenue. The proposed rate of $28.87 was bumped to $28.88, so an average city business will pay about $16,000 a year.
The burden of taxes leaned more toward the homeowner this year instead of the business community and Mayor James Ruberto said it was time for the City to be more sensitive to small-business owners. However, the business tax rate applies to all businesses — big and small — in Pittsfield.
City Clerk Bid Farewell
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Tuesday night's Pittsfield City Council meeting was the last for outgoing City Clerk Jody Phillips. She's departing her job for a new position at General Dynamics.
Phillips will continue her job at City Hall until the end of the year. She has served as city clerk for 10 years after she was appointed to the job by former Mayor Gerald Doyle when longtime City Clerk Jacqueline Sacchetti retired in 1998.
Phillips won her first election in 1999 and, in 2005, voters made her job permanent. There was more to the job than the high-profile television image of Phillips working at City Council meetings. Phillips was also in charge of everything from dog licenses to elections.
Berkshire Gas Customers Getting Rate Break
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Gas customers will be getting a rate break for a while.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has approved a request from Berkshire Gas to reduce the cost of natural gas by an average of nearly 24 percent. Company officials say that will result in a total bill reduction of 16 percent for heating customers and 8 percent for non-heating customers. The new rate went into effect Dec. 1.
Over the course of the winter heating season, Berkshire Gas now projects that the typical residential heating customer will pay less overall than he or she did last year for natural gas service, assuming normal weather and stable prices.
