Williamstown Nomination Papers, Dog Licenses Available

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Nomination papers for elected offices in the Town of Williamstown are available in the Town Clerk's office as of Feb. 3, 2025. 
 
Offices on the May 13, 2025 Annual Town Election ballot will be 3 Select Board seats, 2 are three year terms, and 1 is one year remaining of a 3 year term, 1 three year Moderator seat, 5 Library Trustee seats, 4 are three year terms and 1 is one year remaining of a 3 year term, 1 Housing Authority seat, for a five year term, 1 Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District seat, a three year term and 1 Planning Board seat, for a five year term.
 
Candidates seeking to run for office must stop by Town Clerk, Nicole Beverly's Office to pick up nomination papers. Thirty (30) signatures are required. All signatures must be ink signatures, no electronic signatures are allowed.
 
Completed nomination papers must be returned to the Board of Registrars for certification no later than Tuesday, March 25, 2025. 
 
Questions regarding running for town office can be addressed by reaching out to the Town Clerk's Office at nbeverly@williamstownma.gov or 413-458-3500 Ext. 101.
 
Also, 2025 dog licenses are now available. The current fees are $5.00 for spayed/neutered dogs and $12.00 for all others. Dog licenses must be renewed by March 31, 2025.
 
Dog licenses can now be purchased online via the Town's website: https://williamstownma.viewpointcloud.com/ . Once on the page, scroll down to "Town Clerk Licenses." You may pay online or send in/drop off a check.
 
Regardless of how you would like to pay, you still should complete the licensing process online. Your dog tag(s) will be mailed to you once completed. You will need to create a login if you do not have one for Viewpoint.
 
There are detailed instructions on the website to help with learning the process https://williamstownma.gov/government/documents/.
 
Failure to renew your license will result in a late fee of $10.00.
 
It is a requirement that all dog owners must provide proof of a current rabies vaccination to obtain their dog license. You will be able to upload your rabies certificate directly to the online portal. If you don't have a scanner, taking a picture with your phone works too.
 
Residents who have questions regarding dog licenses should email or call the Town Clerk's office at nbeverly@williamstownma.gov or 458-3500 Ext. 101.

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Williamstown Community Preservation Panel Weighs Hike in Tax Surcharge

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Community Preservation Committee is considering whether to ask town meeting to increase the property tax surcharge that property owners currently pay under the provisions of the Community Preservation Act.
 
Members of the committee have argued that by raising the surcharge to the maximum allowed under the CPA, the town would be eligible for significantly more "matching" funds from the commonwealth to support CPA-eligible projects in community housing, historic preservation and open space and recreation.
 
When the town adopted the provisions of the CPA in 2002 and ever since, it set the surcharge at 2 percent of a property's tax with $100,000 of the property's valuation exempted.
 
For example, the median-priced single-family home in the current fiscal year has a value of $453,500 and a tax bill of $6,440, before factoring the assessment from the fire district, a separate taxing authority.
 
For the purposes of the CPA, that same median-priced home would be valued at $353,500, and its theoretical tax bill would be $5,020.
 
That home's CPA surcharge would be about $100 (2 percent of $5,020).
 
If the CPA surcharge was 3 percent in FY26, that median-priced home's surcharge would be about $151 (3 percent of $5,020).
 
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