Boston Magazine Honors Steven Valenti and Barrington Stage

12:00AM / Thursday, August 04, 2005Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Boston Magazine has recognized a longtime business staple in the city of Pittsfield, along with the city's Tony Award-winning playhouse in its annual "Best of Boston" list.

For the first time, the magazine devoted a section of the list to the Berkshires and gave a nod to Steven Valenti Clothing for Men in downtown Pittsfield as the region's best men's clothing store.

The magazine raves, "So many stores have forsaken good, old-fashioned service for the ubiquitous bottom line. But integrity still means something at this North Street shop."

In addition, Boston Magazine lauded Barrington Stage Company, which will soon call Pittsfield's Berkshire Music Hall its permanent home. The magazine rated BSC as the region's best alternative theater, saying: "Once in a blue moon, a regional theater becomes a Broadway darling. That time is now for the Barrington Stage Company, whose '25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' scored not one but two Tony Awards this year, including best actor for the company's own Dan Fogler."

Pittsfield Mayor James M. Ruberto congratulated Valenti and the Barrington Stage for the recognition in the "Best of Boston 2005" in the August issue of Boston Magazine.

"It's fantastic to see attention being paid to some of the people who are making Pittsfield a great place to live and work," said Ruberto. "It's just another sign that the rest of the world is beginning to see all that this city has to offer."

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Pittsfield Tax Rate Drops, But Bills May Rise

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:01PM / Wednesday, November 12, 2025

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The administration has presented a split rate that would increase the average single-family home's annual bill by about $220.

On the agenda for Thursday's City Council meeting is a hearing for the fiscal 2026 tax rate: $17.50 per $1,000 of valuation for residential property and $36.90 for commercial, industrial, and personal property. This rate uses a residential factor of 0.8299 at a shift of 1.75.

While the rate is 44 cents cheaper than the year before for residential properties and more than a dollar cheaper for commercial properties, bills will rise.

The FY26 levy limit of $119.5 million includes more than $2 million in new growth, and there is about $389,000 in excess level capacity. Pittsfield's real and personal property valuation is $5,650,879,534, more than $380 million higher than the previous year.

The average single-family home has increased by more than $20,000 from $295,291 last fiscal year to $315,335 in FY26, and with the proposed tax rate, would pay $5,518.36 in taxes per year. This represents a $220.84 increase.

The median home price increased at a similar rate, from $256,500 in FY25 to $275,150 in FY26. Commercial property increased by more than $15,000, the median property valued at $224,250 in FY25 and $239,500 in FY26. The median commercial property would see a $327.42 annual increase in its tax bill.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, there are 11,330 single-family homes in Pittsfield this fiscal year, four new parcels added from the previous year, and the assessed value of this property type rose by $226,274,900, totaling $3,572,750,000. There are 1,733 two-family homes, four fewer than the previous fiscal year, and that property type is assessed at $387,638,100.

There are 712 commercial properties with a total value of $428,856,000, 242 industrial properties with a total value of $139,218,000, and 15 industrial power plants.

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