Canton’s residential, commercial tax rates to increase

The Board of Selectmen has accepted the recommendation of the town’s assessors and will raise the residential tax rate from $10.83 per $1,000 valuation to $11.55 per $1,000 valuation. The commercial tax rate will increase from $21.77 per thousand to $23.04. The average single-family tax bill will increase by nearly $337 from FY 2010.

Town Finance Director Jim Murgia said the final year of the Proposition 2 ½ override impacted the rate by 2.5 percent.

The decision to increase the rate came Tuesday night as selectmen and assessors held a classification hearing. Assessors told selectmen that for the first time in a long time, abatements have exceeded the $1 million budget allocation set by assessors and they are approaching a deficit situation with 30 appellate cases still to be decided.

Assessor Bill Galvin said property vacancies and the recent revaluation is causing more abatements to be reviewed this year.

The average single-family home assessment is $462,700, which produces a tax bill of $5,344.There are 5,307 single-family homes in Canton. There are 1,313 condos, and the average condo assessment is $228,700. The two largest taxpayers in town are NStar, which pays $1,032,490 in taxes, and Reebok, which pays $920,407. The total taxable valuation of the town is $3.974 billion.

The first complete revaluation of the town was in 1970, resulting in a valuation of $170 million, Galvin said, noting that the town has grown in value 23 times in since then. The next revaluation is scheduled for 2014.
Galvin also said the town’s newest growth — pegged at $369,000 next year — has dropped considerably. New growth was $778,866 in 2010 and $994,713 in 2009.

Selectman Avril Elkort noted that state aid which dropped 4 percent last year, could drop as much as another 10 percent for next fiscal year.

The news was more positive on Reservoir Pond as a thorough environmental report of water and sediment conducted by GZA Environmental found no serious contaminants in either the pond water or soil. Charles Crealese of GZA said there are no risks to either swimming or fishing. Selectman Chairman Victor Del Vecchio said the BOS, which is recommending that the town take control of the pond from Napleton Company with a vote at April’s town meeting, is very pleased with GZA’s findings.

More good financial news came from a signed agreement between the town and Southern Sky Renewable energy for the company to build a solar electrical farm at the capped former landfill. The town will receive a minimum of $600,00 annually in lease revenue and discounts and rebates in town electrical costs over 25 years.

In other news:

• Selectmen agreed to spend as much as $60,000 to complete design plans for an upgraded DPW Garage on Bolivar Street. The upgrades will bring the DPW buildings up to code and make the facility safer for the employees. At the beginning of the year Selectman John Connolly called the conditions at the facility “deplorable.”

“We made a promise to the employees that we would do this,” Connolly said Tuesday night. “It is the right thing to do.”

• Town Hall and non-emergency municipal offices will be closed on Friday, November 26, the day after Thanksgiving.

• The Republican Town Committee appointed Daneene Pate Republican Registrar of Voters to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Peter Sara; the committee will appoint Edward Marshall Republican Registrar of Voters to fill the vacancy when Marie Blanchard retires.

• Selectmen proclaimed Saturday, November 20 Bob Brown Day to honor the founder and manager of the American Legion Post baseball team. Brown founded the team in 1965. A ceremony will be held at the Legion at 1 p.m. on Nov.20

• Thomas Theodore was appointed to the Recreation Commission to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Joe Uliano, and Brenda Lee Boris and Renee Hanscom were appointed as members of the Youth Commission.

• Based on the town’s commitment to CPR education and access to advanced life support equipment, the BOS and Fire Chief Charlie Doody were presented with a Heartsafe Community Award certificate

• The annual holiday tree lighting ceremony will be held Thursday, December 2 at 6:30 p.m.

• Selectmen will next meet Tuesday, November 30 at 7 p.m.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Nov 18 2010. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.