SHUTESBURY — An average homeowner in Shutesbury will pay about $500 more in property taxes in the coming year after the Select Board approved a single-tax rate for all residential, commercial and industrial properties.
With the average single-family home increasing in value from $395,254 to $418,653, the average tax bill is projected to go up from $6,257 to $6,778.
John “Jay” Whelihan, an independent contractor for the Board of Assessors, explained to the Select Board at its Nov. 12 meeting that Shutesbury’s property tax bills have been lower than surrounding towns, including the $9,693 paid by a typical Amherst homeowner, and Pelham’s $8,298 bill and Leverett’s $7,156 bill.
Like many communities where mostly residential taxpayers support municipal and school operations, Shutesbury has been affected by the value of the assessments of these properties outpacing the commercial assessments, Whelihan said.
This is happening even in places like Northampton and Boston, Whelihan said, in part due to less demand for office space as more people work from home.
The Select Board voted not to shift any of the property tax burden onto commercial and industrial properties, setting a factor of one, and also voted against offering an open space discount, a residential exemption and a small commercial exemption.
Shutesbury continues to have excess levy capacity, well above $500,000 the last two years. Whelihan said this could allow the town to spend money on capital items, such as a fire engine or a dump truck, without the need for a Proposition 2½ tax cap or debt exclusion override.