Dalton Town Elections Monday, Planning Seat Vacant

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The town election is this Monday at the Senior Center from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
 
Unlike recent elections, all open seats are uncontested this year, with one vacancy still remaining on the Planning Board, which will require write-in votes to fill the seat.
 
The Planning Board has two open seats but only one candidate on the ballot — William Striebel III. However, two citizens have stepped forward to run write-in campaigns: Richard Hall and Mary Tresa Devereaux.  Both Hall and Devereaux have been endorsed by the Dalton Clear Air Coalition and Democratic Town Committee. 
 
The Select Board has two open seats for the three-year positions and only two candidates — incumbent John Boyle and newcomer Jeannie Ingram. 
 
Select Board member Daniel Esko has decided not to run again after serving on the board for six years. 
 
Boyle is a longtime public servant, having spent 27 years on the Select Board and six years on the Finance Committee, along with serving on numerous local and regional boards, including currently representing Dalton on the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority and chairing the Dalton Redevelopment Authority.
 
He aims to work with other government officials and bodies to maintain financial stability while supporting education and infrastructure, noting that the town’s biggest challenge is limited funding.
 
Although new to the area, Ingram has jumped right into the Dalton community, attending numerous meetings and taking notes. 
 
She has held a range of leadership and volunteer roles, including chair of the Hingham Historical Commission and Dalton Cultural Council, founding president of the Su Escuela Language Academy Parent Association, and a board member of Pittsfield's Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center.
 
Ingram said she fully supports the Capital Planning Committee to help identify and prioritize projects that will require difficult conversations and multiple perspectives in order to succeed because of the financial challenges facing the town. 
 
She says her experience in fundraising and community engagement will help her support informed, transparent decision-making,
 
Also on the ballot is one seat for moderator with incumbent Anthony Doyle running for re-election, one seat for cemetery trustee with Mary Cherry running, one seat for Finance Committee with Diane Lowe running, and two seats for the library trustees with incumbents Max Ehrlich and Fred Sears running for re-election. 

Tags: election 2026,   town elections,   


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Pittsfield Proposes 2.64 Tax Rate Hike

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The proposed tax rate for fiscal year 2027 is less than 40 cents per $1,000 valuation for residential properties and would increase the average property tax bill by about $146 per year. 

On Tuesday's City Council meeting agenda is a request from the mayor and Board of Assessors to use a residential factor of .8245 at a shift of 1.75, resulting in a residential tax rate of $17.88 and a commercial, industrial, and personal property tax rate of $37.95.

These matters are typically referred to the Committee of the Whole for deliberation. The proposed rates for residential and commercial are 38 cents and $1.05 more, respectively, from FY26. 

The average residential home, valued at $316,792 in FY27, has increased by about $1,500 from the previous fiscal year, and would pay $5,664.24 in yearly taxes.

This is a 2.64 percent, or $145.88, increase. 

The average commercial property worth $239,600 saw a $100 increase in value from the previous fiscal year, and would pay $9,092.82 in yearly taxes. This is a $255.27, or 2.89 percent, increase from the previous fiscal year. 

The FY27 tax levy of $124,468,317 is a $5.3 million increase from the previous year, or 4.45 percent. There is about  $388,000 in excess levy capacity, $2.3 million in new growth, and the levy limit is $124,856,412. 

According to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, 11 single-family homes were added to Pittsfield's housing stock this fiscal year, increasing the city's total assessed value by $19,987,600 to $3,592,737,600. 

The city lost five two-family homes in 2027, and that housing type decreased by $3.2 million in assessed value, now worth $384,620,400. 

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