By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
11/26/09
Residential property tax bills will jump about 11 percent, adding just over $700 to the average family tax bill. Selectmen unanimously approved a new property tax plan Nov. 19, based on a recommendation by chief appraiser Jeff d’Ambly and the Board of Assessors. The new tax rate requires approval from the Department of Revenue. If approved, the plan would raise the residential property tax from $11.74 to $13.35 per $1,000 of assessed value – an increase of 11.45 percent over the previous rate. Under the new rate, a home assessed at $519,000 would be levied a $6,929 tax bill, an increase of $712. According to d’Ambly, home values have dropped slightly, and the higher tax rate is needed due to voters’ passage in June of a $3.4 million override – a vote to increase property taxes beyond the 2.5 percent allowed under Proposition 21/2. Town officials argued the case for the tax increase due to significant cuts and layoffs that they said were required without it. The original plan was to issue the override increases over two of the quarterly tax installments, but d’Ambly said his recommendation would spread the amount over all four payments, lessening the initial burden to taxpayers.
“It eases some of the pain of the override,” Selectmen Chairman John Shields said.
If the new rate gains the state’s approval, it would also increase the bill on commercial properties by 10 percent. By comparison, with no override last year, the residential tax rate went up just 3 percent, and the rate on businesses actually decreased slightly.
The new commercial rate would be an increase from $17.95 to $20.44 per $1,000 assessed value, meaning a commercial property valued at around $693,000 would see the bill go up $1,295. The value of commercial properties is also down slightly, d’Ambly said. The new rates also have to account for growth in the town’s overall budget.
The town will have to collect roughly $56.9 million in property taxes this year, which is a jump from $51.7 million last year.
Although the town uses a quarterly billing process for tax bills, the bills are only mailed out twice a year. The actual bills go out by Jan. 1. One payment on that bill is due Feb. 1.
To find the data online, go to www.townofmilton.org and then choose Town Departments, then Assessors and then Property Record Web site.
The assessor’s office can be reached at (617) 898-4863.
Selectmen voted not to adopt a residential or small commercial tax exemption.