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North Adams Council to Vote Tax Classification on Tuesday

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The administration is proposing to raise the property tax rate about 2 percent for fiscal 2017.

Mayor Richard Alcombright is recommending the City Council continue the commercial shift at 1.71, which pushes more of the tax burden onto commercial, industrial and personal property taxes.

That would mean an increase of 31 cents per $1,000 valuation, or a rate of $17.70 for residential, and 61 cents more for the commercial rate, or $38.54.

The average single-family home valued at $136,900, would see a property tax bill of $2,423.13, up about $83 because last year's home value was more than $1,300 less.

If the council were to prefer a single rate at next Tuesday's tax classification hearing, the tax rate for all properties would be $22.54 per $1,000.

The tax levy for fiscal 2017 is $16,139,266, up 2.58 percent, about $400,000, over last year. Residential provides 60 percent of the levy and commercial about 27 percent.


The city's total valuation is up almost $7 million at $716 million. Residential values are up nearly $6 million, commercial $2 million and industrial about a $1 million. Personal property, however, is down about $1.8 million.

The council will also be asked to approve the transfer of $205,000 from free cash to balance the budget, as well as reduce the operations line item of the transfer station by $167,298.

The transfer was accepted in concept last spring when the council approved the $39.5 million budget for fiscal 2017. The $205,000 was factored in to offset increases in health insurance expenses.

The state Department of Revenue has certified the city's free cash at $489,580; with the transfer, that will leave a free cash balance of $284,580. The city last spring the transferred $787,752 from certified free cash into the stabilization account, bringing that account up to nearly $1 million.

The transfer station has seen a fall off in both operating expenses and revenues as larger haulers have opted to use the large-capacity private transfer station in Pownal, Vt.

"As the fiscal year has progressed, we became aware that the transfer station receipts have continued to shrink," Alcombright wrote in his letter to the council.


Tags: fiscal 2017,   tax classification,   tax rate,   

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Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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