Dalton's Single Tax Rate Drops, Bills Slightly Increase
DALTON, Mass. — The town's tax rate is estimated to drop by about 11 percent but residents will see a slight increase in their tax bill due to rising property values.
The select board on Monday voted to set the fiscal year 2023 residential factor at 1 with a corresponding CIP shift of 1, resulting in an estimated single tax rate of $18.44 per thousand in valuation.
The tax rate is a $2.30 decrease from the previous fiscal year's rate of $20.74 per hundred thousand, but it does not mean that bills will decrease.
Residential property values have risen about 14 percent from FY22, bringing the average home from $235,381 to around $271,929. With this, the average homeowner's annual tax bill will rise by around $114 dollars to about $4,995.
"The tax rate is going down, home valuations are going up," Selectman Marc Strout said.
"That does not mean that you are going to be paying less you still will be paying more because valuations went up."
There was little conversation on the unanimous vote aside from determining how this would affect the average homeowner. No residents attended the tax classification hearing.
Town Manager Tom Hutcheson said that the rise of residential values shows how rural properties have become more popular during the pandemic.
This rate is an estimate and may change upon the Department of Revenue's review.
The town expects to raise about $14.5 million in property taxes for the fiscal year and the tax levy has increased by about $274,000 or 1.9 percent from FY22. The FY23 levy limit is about $15.6 million.
About $177,000 in new growth revenues were tabulated, which includes taxes derived from newly taxable properties.
The town's total worth is around $784 million, a $100 million rise from the previous fiscal year. The bulk of that is in residential properties, which represent about $660 million or 84 percent of the value.
Commercial properties represent about $32 million, industrial properties about $52 million, and personal properties about $40 million.
Seniors ages 65 or older and blind residents can apply for an exemption amount of $500. There are also varied exemptions for veterans and a $174 exemption for a surviving spouse.
Tags: tax classification,
