Selectmen approve property tax hike for FY12

By Mike Berger

The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday voted to accept the recommendations of the assessors to raise both the residential and commercial tax rates for the next fiscal year.

The new residential tax rate will be $11.91 per thousand valuation — up 36 cents from the current rate of $11.55 — and the new commercial tax rate will increase by $1.19 from $23.04 to $24.23.

Rocco Digirolamo, chairman of the Board of Assessors, said the average single-family tax bill will increase $182 to $5,526, which is based on the average single-family assessment of $464,008. The average tax bill for condominium owners, based on an assessment of $228,734, would go up by $82 to $2,724.

There are currently 5,316 single-family homes and 1,313 condos in the town of Canton.

The largest personal property taxpayer, NSTAR, pays $1,130,984 per year, and the largest real estate taxpayer, Reebok, pays $981,898.

According to the assessors, new growth increased by only $682,184. Digirolamo said since revaluation was completed this year, values have gone down and as a whole $27 million was lost in commercial value. There were also many tax settlement cases, which lowered the assessors’ overlay reserve fund to $379,000. Every year, the town replenishes this fund to a level of $1 million, and in past years assessors have returned $500,000 to support the town budget.

Deputy Assessor John Wieliczki said he expects some new commercial growth in the coming year with the expansion and relocation of Harbar, the further commercial development of Dan Road, and the opening of the new Homewood Suites hotel on Royall Street.

In other news Tuesday night, selectmen decided to have Safe Haven signs installed at the police and fire stations alerting the public that parents who have no other choice could deliver a child to these stations for care. State child and welfare agencies would then be immediately notified to take the child into state custody.

In addition to the signs, both departments will have contact information for state agencies as well as some basic supplies if emergency care is needed. The idea was proposed by Selectman Victor Del Vecchio, who noted that Norwood public safety buildings have similar signs. Recently, the city of Newton had a parent abandonment situation.

In other matters:

* Selectman Sal Salvatori gave an update on the status of the Reservoir Pond dam repairs, noting that the state Office of Dam Safety is now prepared to issue a deadline to the current owner, Canton Development Properties, to deliver a set of corrective engineering plans. State officials recently visited with town officials at the site and reviewed Canton Development Properties’ plans, which they found to be deficient in several areas. With the 2011 construction season nearly over, Salvatori said the best the town could expect is an early spring start to the project.

* The DPW has begun picking up tree debris from residential properties from the recent snowstorm. The program will continue through November 18. The pick-up began in the Washington and High Street area and will move clockwise around the town, ending in the Estey Way/Pleasant Street area.

* The Canton Food Pantry is in need of a volunteer co-director and supervisor to work three to five hours per week. If interested, call 781-821-8062.

* Selectmen went into executive session to discuss possible criminal complaints filed against the town. Town Counsel Paul DeRensis attended the session. No other information was made available Tuesday night.

* Selectmen held a moment of silence in memory of the late Sheila Cheimets, Canton’s first female selectman and the first female executive director of the Mass. Municipal Association.

* Selectmen announced that the Bank of Canton Affinity Card has generated proceeds of approximately $100,000 from 1999-2011, all of which has gone to the Canton Food Pantry.

* Selectmen will next meet on Tuesday, November 22, at 7 p.m.

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