BERNARDSTON — After residents breezed through voting on the first 32 warrant articles at a 40-article Annual Town Meeting on Monday with little to no discussion, a citizen’s petition to lower property tax rates sparked an hour-long discussion.

Voters ultimately decided to table Article 33, a petition submitted by resident Kathy Willor requesting that the town lower its “recent outrageous property tax hike,” until a more specific petition is brought before Town Meeting.

“I was just curious if there was any actual number attached to this, if it’s binding at all, or if we’re just registering that we don’t like taxes,” resident Stewart Scannell said, opening discussion.

After Town Moderator Geoffrey Wilson admitted he was not sure what exactly the petition called upon the town to do, he invited Willor, or someone involved in her petition, to better explain the article.

Willor said that going door-to-door, she met a number of people who were struggling to pay increased property taxes as property values increase.

“One woman was worried about how she was going to pay the tax hike, she doesn’t want to lose her house. Other people were talking about [how] they can’t even pay for their medication and are struggling to buy food,” Willor said. “The well-being of our residents is more important than materialistic things.”

In response, Board of Assessors Chair Melissa Murphy noted the town’s property tax rates increase and decrease through Town Meeting budget votes. She added that residents, only moments prior, had voted to approve Article 6, raising and appropriating $3.59 million.

“This amount that we raised and appropriated today is why our taxes go up — because our budget goes up, because we have increased costs for the town, just like when you go to the grocery store and you’re spending more there,” Murphy said. “The town needs to function and the town can’t function without your tax money.”

Willor responded to Murphy by repeating that “people are struggling” to pay their taxes, and saying the town “needs to stand by its people.”

Board of Assessors member Russell Deane also spoke, noting that the state regulates and approves each municipality’s assessed property values and corresponding tax rates, limiting the town’s ability to independently lower taxes.

The current property tax rate for Bernardston is $16.34 per $1,000 valuation, according to Town Coordinator Karen Kelly. In fiscal year 2023, the tax rate was $15.99 per $1,000 valuation and in FY22 it was $17.20 per $1,000 valuation. The highest rate within the last few years came in FY20 when the tax rate was at $18.59 per $1,000 valuation.

Selectboard Chair Stanley Garland suggested the town form a committee tasked with proposing budget cuts that would offset the property tax rate. Garland also suggested that residents contact their legislators.

“We just can’t have a petition that doesn’t give us any direction,” Garland said. “It’s a huge problem, and I urge you to go to your legislators because they’re the ones who are raising your fees.”

Pumper replacement

Voters passed Article 27, allowing the town to spend $987,000 to replace the Fire Department’s KME pumper.

Introducing the subject, Fire Chief Peter Shedd explained that while neither the department’s 1973 nor 1984 engine lasted 30 years, its 1991 engine is still running. He said the department’s 24-year-old truck, the KME pumper, is still running, but it is getting old.

“We’re paying more and more for these vehicles and their values are going down,” Shedd said. “The number of fire personnel is steadily declining. ... We’ve got one of the greatest mutual aid systems in the state of Massachusetts, but we’re getting a smaller department with a smaller [amount] of people and we’ve got to try to do more with less.”

Shedd said he intends for the new vehicle to be able to store more water and be better equipped to extinguish fires prior to the arrival of mutual aid.

Dog bylaw

In Article 37, residents voted in favor of replacing the town’s current dog bylaw to include lines prohibiting dog owners from allowing their dogs to wander in public spaces or on private property without permission from the property owner.

The new dog bylaw, Animal Control Officer Kyle Dragon explained, puts Bernardston in compliance with state law by regulating off-leash dogs and the removal of dog waste.

Finance Committee member Stephen Nestanpower spoke in opposition to the bylaw, arguing that it unfairly restricted dogs without similarly regulating cats.

“A lot of us have dogs, most of our dogs are under control. I happen to have two neighbors that have two black cats that love to come into my yard and kill the birds that we feed,” Nestanpower said. “Am I supposed to now call you every time I see a cat running around as a nuisance? This is so one-sided, it’s pitiful.”

Other articles

Only one article failed, a citizen’s petition to amend the definition of a “restaurant” in the town’s zoning bylaws. The petition was sponsored by Alexander Fiorey, who filed it while attempting to permanently open Falltown Cruiser, an immobilized food truck at 19 South St. Instead, Planning Board members said they intend to take up the issue of defining mobile food trucks in a separate category in the zoning bylaws in the near future.

All remaining articles on the Town Meeting warrant were approved, including transferring $59,420 from the town’s Vehicle Stabilization Account to help the Police Department buy a new 2024 Dodge Durango, allocating $15,000 in free cash toward slate roof repairs on town-owned buildings, and authorizing the Selectboard to seek special legislation that would allow it to appoint an associate member to the Board of Health who would serve as a voting member when a full member is unable to vote.

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.