Dalton Town & Fire District Set Tax Rates for FY26

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 2026 is projected to be $16.87 per $1,000 property value, which is an increase of 40 cents from last year's rate of $16.47. 
 
The average tax bill for a single-family residence in Dalton would be about $6,010.54 for an average value of $356,286. 
 
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 FY26 is approximately $369,708, which is down from FY25's figure of $777,158. 
 
The town's new growth evaluation is $3,157,478, which equates to a new growth levy amount of $52,000. 
 
"New growth revenue is property taxes derived from newly taxable properties like new construction, additions, subdivisions, and personal property," Nunez said. 
 
The total assessed value of taxable properties in town for FY26 is $1,002,804,256, an increase of $43,627,531, or 4.549 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 $3,569,222.
 
The district's tax rate for fiscal 2026 is projected to be $148, down $18 from last year's $166. 
 
The average tax bill for a single-family residence in Dalton would be about $1.48 per $1,000 property value, or 0.74 centers per $1,000 property value twice a year. 
 
The average tax bill for a single-family residence in Dalton would be about $527, or about $263 twice a year.  

Tags: property taxes,   tax classification,   

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Peace Officer Standards Commission Strips Former Pittsfield Cop of Certification

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A former Pittsfield Police officer was one of five statewide who recently had their licenses revoked by the  POST Commission. 

Last week, the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission voted to strip five former officers of their licenses to work in law enforcement, including former PPD officer William Straub

The commission had determined that these workers were unfit to carry a badge and gun in Massachusetts; so far, 92 state police officers have been decertified by the commission. 

Records indicate that Straub faced charges tied to a 2024 incident, but details are redacted.  On Oct. 31, 2024, the POST Commission suspended Straub's law enforcement certification, and he resigned from PPD in April. 

"According to Pittsfield District Court records, Straub pleaded guilty in April to two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery tied to a 2024 incident," MassLive wrote on Monday. 

"Three other charges, including drunk driving and carrying a firearm while intoxicated, were continued without a finding. While that resolution allows the charges to be dismissed after a period of time if Straub abides by certain conditions, the commission treats them as a criminal conviction."

According to records, he was certified as a police officer in July of 2021, and recertified in July 2024.  

"The Respondent's appointing agency, the Pittsfield Police Department ("PPD"), submitted a final report to the Commission finding that the Respondent had engaged in criminal conduct and conduct unbecoming [of] an officer," the Aug. 20 final decision to decertify reads. 

"The Respondent resigned from PPD on April 9, 2026, prior to the imposition of any discipline." 

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