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Assessor Donna McDonald walks the Selectmen through possible tax shifts.

Adams Selectmen See Different Tax Rate Scenarios

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — If the town sticks with a split tax rate at the same shift as this year, residents could be looking at a 49 cent increase over this year’s rate.
 
Assessor Donna MacDonald went over possible tax rate scenarios for fiscal 2020 at the Selectmen's workshop on Wednesday. The board will vote on the tax classifications next week.
 
MacDonald said the total amount to be raised for the fiscal 2020 budget is $16,083,959. Subtracting estimated receipts of $5,054,868 brings this amount to $11,029,090. Debt exclusion has been pulled out of this number.
 
Dividing this by the total valuation of $516,763,257 sets a single tax rate of $22.60. Last year’s single tax rate would have been $22.08.
 
But last year, the Selectmen approved a split rate with a shift factor of 115 percent. This translated to a residential rate of $21.39 and a commercial rate of $25.40. If this same shift is set, the town would be looking at a residential rate of $21.88 and a commercial rate of $25.99.
 
MacDonald went through other shifts and said a 110 percent shift would be a residential rate of $22.12 and a commercial rate of $24.86. A 120 percent shift would be $21.64 and a commercial rate of $27.13.
 
She only listed shifts up to 130 percent and said the town should tread lightly shifting any further.
 
"I only went up to 130 percent because if you go any higher than that for sure that would really hurt businesses," she said. "I don't see us hurting them like that."
 
MacDonald said she was not particularly happy about new growth because it is lagging behind the three-year average. New residential growth was $695,000; the three-year average is $1.6 million. Commercial growth was $228,000; the three-year average is $460,000.
 
"It comes down to we need growth in this community and without it, housing stock is starting to lower," Selectman Joespah Nowak said. "The future doesn't look all that bright at this present time."
 
MacDonald said new builds would help but maybe even more importantly the town has to fill vacant buildings. She said filling up Park Street with businesses would do a lot of good in Adams.
 
She added that blight also worsens the situation and a few decrepit homes can really bring down the value of a neighborhood.
 
"We have several streets that are having a difficult time and you can see it," she said. "If you have one house that is in disrepair among 10 beautiful houses, it will maybe hurt but if there are three in a row that is a different story."
 
She said people are having a hard time selling homes above value in the Route 8 corridor. Conversely, properties on the outskirts of town are selling above assessed value.
 
Town Administrator Jay Green looked at the growth numbers differently and said things are still trending positive. 
 
"I see that it is lagging but when you look at the numbers that way it does show that we still have some growth," he said. "We may not have what we want but as I broke down these numbers, the takeaway is that we still have some level of growth." 
 
MacDonald agreed and said there are people moving into town. She said word seems to be getting out that people can afford a good house in Adams that they can also afford to improve.
 
This summer has been really positive and homes have been selling above assessment, she said. 
 
Green said in his six months as town administrator he has noticed the same thing.
 
"Adams is very attractive to those who want to come move here and I think we are moving in the right direction," he said. "We just need a little more of a push on that housing side to make it more attractive ... we are a hidden gem."
 
The tax classification hearing will be held Wednesday.
 
The Selectmen did ask MacDonald her opinion on the town's initiative to adopt 40R but she was hesitant to respond without conducting more research.
 
The Planning Board voted earlier this summer to continue a hearing on the adoption of 40R, an initiative to help communities create dense, residential, mixed-use zoning districts with a certain percentage of affordable housing units in existing city and town centers.
 
Many residents came out opposed to the overlay and town leadership felt there was a general lack of understanding of 40R that lead to a more argumentative meeting.
 
Green said the town will hold a public information session on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the visitors center at 6 p.m. to educate people on all that is 40R.

Tags: property taxes,   tax classification,   tax rate,   

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Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
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