Dalton and Fire District Set Tax Rates for FY25

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board voted to maintain a single tax rate, as it has done historically, during its meeting on Monday night. 
 
This means all types of properties within the town, whether residential, commercial, or industrial, will be taxed at the same rate.
 
The town's tax rate for fiscal year 2025 is projected to be $16.47 per $1,000 property value, which is a decrease of 54 cents from last year's rate of $17.01. 
 
The average tax bill for a single-family residence in Dalton would be about $5,561.06 for an average value of $337,648.
 
Residential properties continue to represent most of the total value in town, at approximately 86 percent, with commercial, industrial, and personal property only making up about 14 percent, Assessor's Clerk Lee Nunez said.  
 
The town's excess levy capacity for FY25 is approximately $777,158, which is down from FY24's figure of $864,386.07. The town takes this figure into consideration when developing the budget. 
 
The total assessed value of taxable properties in town for FY25 is $959,176,725, an increase of $63,853,860, or 7.13 percent over last year. 
 
The Dalton Fire District's prudential committee also voted to maintain a single-payer tax rate, as it has done for many years, at its meeting on Tuesday. 
 
The Fire District and town are two separate governing and taxing bodies. The Fire and Water departments are the Fire District's responsibility. The Board of Water Commissioners and the Prudential Committee govern the district.
 
The district's tax rate is set according to its yearly budget. During the Fire District's annual meeting, voters approved budget articles amounting to approximately $3,524,680 for fiscal year 2025. 
 
A number of the budget hikes were caused by increases outside the district's control, specifically insurance, Water Commission Chair James Driscoll said during the annual meeting
 
The district's tax rate for fiscal 2025 is projected to be $1.66 per $1,000 property value. 
 
The average tax bill for a single-family residence in Dalton would be about $559.42 for an average value of $337,648.

Tags: fire district,   fiscal 2025,   property taxes,   tax classification,   

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Pittsfield Company Fined for Asbestos Violations

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has issued a $17,400 penalty to Pittsfield-based Barile Environmental Inc. for asbestos violations that occurred during abatement services at an office building located at 23 Lewis Ave. in Great Barrington.  
 
MassDEP discovered the violations during inspections of the office building in October 2025. Barile failed to follow appropriate asbestos work practices and controls during its asbestos abatement activities at the building site. MassDEP inspections of the facility revealed that Barile personnel were removing asbestos-containing siding in violation of state asbestos regulations.  
 
"MassDEP enforces asbestos regulations so that management of asbestos-containing materials is completed safely," said Michael Gorski, director of MassDEP’s Western Regional Office in Springfield. "This consent order requires payment of a substantial penalty and could have been avoided if the proper work practices were followed." 
 
Following MassDEP's order, Barile has completed the required cleanup actions and must pay $14,000 of the $17,400 penalty to resolve the violations. The balance of the penalty is suspended pending compliance with the remaining administrative terms of the order.  
 
Property owners or contractors with questions about asbestos-containing materials, notification requirements, proper removal, handling, packaging, storage, and disposal procedures, or MassDEP asbestos regulations are encouraged to contact the appropriate MassDEP Regional Office for assistance.  
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