Tax rates are remaining level or decreasing in all four North County towns for fiscal year 2020, following respective tax classification hearings.
After being approved by their individual selectboards, the tax rates are also approved by the state Department of Revenue.
Northfield
During a joint public hearing of the Northfield Selectboard and Board of Assessors last week, town officials agreed to maintain a single tax rate for fiscal year 2020, according to Assessors Clerk Beth Walker. On Tuesday, Walker said the tax rate for fiscal year 2020 had been approved at $16.61 per $1,000 valuation, a decrease from last year’s tax rate of $17.40.
Bernardston
Bernardston voted to approve a single tax rate during its Nov. 20 meeting. William Young, chair of the Board of Assessors, said the tax rate went down to $18.59 per $1,000 valuation in comparison to last year’s rate of $19.64.
Young noted that if the Selectboard had chosen to support a split tax rate, the town property rate might have dropped to around $17.03 per $1,000 valuation, but the industry and personal property rates would have been around $27.88 per $1,000 valuation.
“We don’t have enough commercial property or industrial property to warrant splitting the rate,” he said.
The Selectboard voted on Nov. 25 to approve a single tax rate of $20.37 per $1,000 valuation for fiscal year 2020.
Assessor’s Clerk Beth Gilgun said Warwick mainly has residential properties, with few commercial or industrial properties. For that reason, the town has stuck with the single tax rate as opposed to a split tax rate between commercial, industrial and residential properties.
During the Leyden Selectboard meeting on Nov. 25, the town voted to renew the same single rate tax rate as it had the previous year, according to Municipal Assistant Michelle Giarusso. Leyden’s rate is $17.42 per $1,000 valuation.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 264.