Pittsfield Council Rejects Eversource Pole Request for Unpaid Taxes

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council last week rejected a request for a new jointly owned utility pole from NSTAR doing business as Eversource and Verizon New England because of the electric company's unpaid taxes.

Eversource has been challenging its personal property bill since 2018 and only paying about half. The company owes $3.6 million plus $1 million in interest and fees, totaling about $4.6 million in debts to the city.

A representative from Verizon said the request — made by Eversource — was to place the poles, wires, cables, and related fixtures on the north side of East Housatonic Street about 145 feet west from the centerline of Deming Street.

The pole is intended to better support the existing pole line and allow for cables to continue down Copley Terrace.

Though it is legal for the company to appeal its taxes as long as they are paying half of the personal property amount, the council wanted this unanimous vote to send a message: pay your bills.

"Since we've been using a blended method to appraise the utility since 2018, they have been paying about a little bit over half of what their bill is for personal property," Chief Assessor Paula King said.

"There is by law, the ability to appeal a tax as long as you're paying that portion when it comes to personal property, at least half of the bill."

The case is currently pending before the state Appellate Tax Board.

Councilor at Large Earl Persip III brought the situation to light during a public hearing for the pole.  

His sentiments were well received by the rest of the panel.

Ward 4 Councilor Chris Connell agreed, adding that maybe if Eversource hears that the pole was rejected because of unpaid taxes they may reconsider.

"If you want to force somebody's hand then you've got to start denying some things," he said.

Ward 1 Councilor Helen Moon found it problematic that the company is withholding taxes while people who cannot pay utility bills are not offered the same bailouts and get their power shut off.

"Eversource is a public utility, but they are over $1 billion in revenue last year and it looks like they're withholding millions of dollars in taxes for 87 Massachusetts communities," she said.

"Think about like our residents in Pittsfield who don't pay their Eversource bills and what happens to them."

Lenco Celebrates $5M in Capital Investments

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:34AM / Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Executive Vice President Lenny Light says it's not the equipment but the staff that gives Lenco its competitive advantage. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Lenco Armored Vehicles has embarked on a $5 million capital investment project for faster, better manufacturing. 

 

A ribbon was cut on Monday in front of the company's new Trumpf TruLaser 3080, a machine designed to cut extra-large sheets of metal. This will increase the efficiency of building armored tactical vehicles, such as the BearCat, by about 40 percent. 

 

Executive Vice President Lenny Light recalled the Lenco's beginnings in 1981, when it operated out of 3,000 square feet on Merrill Road with 15 employees.  Today, Lenco has 170,000 square feet of manufacturing space and nearly 150 employees. 

 

"The work that we do here in Pittsfield contributes to millions of dollars being put back into our local economy. We're the largest commercial armored rescue vehicle manufacturer in the United States. We're one of the most respected brands locally. We also now own the largest fiber laser in the United States. It's the only one of its kind in the Northeast," he said, motioning to the massive, modern machinery. 

 

"But the equipment that we have is not our competitive advantage — our welders, our forklifts, our cranes — any company can buy this same exact equipment." 

 

Rather than the equipment, he said, it's the staff who shows up every day with a can-do attitude that gives Lenco its competitive advantage. 

 

Planning for the industrial cutter began 18 months ago, when the company needed to decide if it was the right equipment for the future. Trumpf, named for its founder, is a German-headquartered global manufacturer of high-end metal processing (computer numerical control) machines, including laser technology. The TruLaser 3080 uses a high-intensity laser beam to cut through metals with speed and accuracy.