Cheshire Sets Tax Rate at $13.06 for Fiscal 2018
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The property tax bill for the average home will increase by $134 this fiscal year.
The Selectmen on Thursday set the fiscal 2018 tax rate at $13.06, which is 5.4 percent higher than last year. The single tax rate covers both residential and commercial property.
The Assessors joined the Selectmen at Thursday's tax classification hearing. Officials voted to set the single tax rate at $13.06 per $1,000 valuation, which is 67 cents higher than this year's $12.39.
The average property value for a single-family home in Cheshire is $200,000 making the average tax bill at the new rate $2,612.
Town Administrator Mark Webber previewed the hearing Tuesday and said because of increasing expenses and stagnant property values, residents will see a higher increase.
"Property values increased half of 1 percent and I think you did it the right way and it went up but the values haven't moved much in five years," Webber said. "It's the value versus the spending."
Webber said it would take another $200,000 from free cash to keep the tax rate level. Town meeting already voted to use $170,000 from free cash to offset the tax rate.
Selectman Robert Ciskowski said on Tuesday that he thought the closing of Cheshire School would not help matters.
"I wonder if the school closing will affect this," he said. "I am not going to say which way."
Tags: fiscal 2018, tax classification, tax rate,
