 Pittsfield Council Closes Term With Tax Rate ApprovalsDespite the pain of raising taxes, a majority of the City Council members agreed that it is their responsibility to approve 2024 tax classification so that the city doesn't fall behind.  Clarksburg Taxpayers Will See Drop in Tax Rate, Increase in BillsThe Select Board last week voted for a single tax rate that will translate to an estimated property tax of $15.13 per $1,000 valuation. Williamstown Select Board Looks at Property Tax Relief IdeasThe Select Board last week looked at a number of alternatives that could help the town make its property tax system a little more equitable. Average Dalton Property Bill Rises 7%The Select Board voted to maintain a single tax rate, as it has done in the past, during its meeting on Thursday night.  Pittsfield Council Tables FY24 Tax Rate AsksWard 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren, Ward 2 Councilor Charles Kronick and at-Large Councilor Karen Kalinowsky spoke against the proposal that would increase the average homeowner's bill by 8.75 percent. Lanesborough Select Board OKs Single Tax RateThe Select Board on Monday voted to adopt a single tax rate that will mean the average homeowners' tax bill will go up by $107.  Adams Tax Rate Drops 6% But Bills Will RiseThat translates to a residential tax rate of $17.54 per $1,000 assessed value, down around 6 percent from last year's $18.59, and a commercial rate of $24.23, down from $25.65 last year.  Williamstown Rejects Tax Exemption for FY24Two of the board members, Andrew Hogeland and Jane Patton, argued that the RTE is too blunt an instrument and advocated for more targeted tax relief mechanisms.  Williamstown Grappling With 'Fairness' of Property Tax ProposalSelect Board member Stephanie Boyd has been advocating that the town consider adopting the commonwealth's residential tax exemption as a way to shift some of the tax levy away from owners of lower-priced homes and toward owners of higher-end properties.  Critics of Residential Tax Exemption in Williamstown State Their CaseJeffrey Thomas spoke for seven minutes from the floor of the meeting, imploring the board to "move on" and not waste time even considering whether an RTE could benefit members of the community. Williamstown Select Board Pressed to Adopt Residential Tax ExemptionPart of her argument relied on data from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center that shows that for wealthier Bay State homeowners, a lower percentage of their overall wealth is based on the value of their homes. Williamstown Finance Committee Members: Town Needs to Grow Tax BaseMembers of the Finance Committee this month called on the town to encourage more economic development in order to increase the tax base. Hoosac Lake District Approves $1.27 Tax RateThe Hoosac Lake District has approved an estimated tax rate of $1.27 per $1,000 valuation for fiscal 2023, a 3-cent decrease from last year.  Letter: Let's Make Property Taxes ProgressiveThose in the bottom income quintile pay 5.4 percent of their income on municipal tax while the top quintile pays less than 3 percent, and the top 1 percent of earners pay only 1.6 percent of their household income, according to the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). |
