Tax rate increases as property value goes down

Shrewsbury - The Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen has voted to increase the town's property tax rate from $8.66 per thousand to $9.14 per $1,000.

In a presentation before the board at their Nov. 19 meeting, Board of Assessors Chair Robert Ellia said the property tax increase was necessary because the value of property in town has decreased slightly.

The board decided against off ering open space discounts, small commercial exemptions and residential exemptions, saying maintaining a single tax rate was the best fit for the town.

"Having a lower rate for some and a higher rate for others raises an equity issue," said Selectman Moira Miller.

Creating two separate tax rates for commercial and residential would mean an average savings of $224 per year for residential properties, and an increase of $6,725 per year for commercial properties.

Miller said that kind of increase would work directly against any town efforts to promote commercial development.

"At this point the community is really trying to be business friendly, and a single tax rate is really the way we show that," she said.

Town Manager Daniel Morgado said the average tax bill in Shrewsbury has increased less than 4 percent in the past decade even with the latest increase.

Board votes to

support Rep. Polito

State Rep. Karyn E. Polito, R-Shrewsbury, has worked on two separate measures aimed at returning lottery funds to cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth that have been defeated, but she says she isn't taking no for an answer.

Polito asked for, and received, the board's support as she moves forward with another bill that would return $450 million in lottery aid to municipalities, $1.5 million to Shrewsbury alone.

Polito said the state has used some of the lottery fund money, 100 percent of which is supposed to go to municipal governments. Polito has asked the board to vocalize its support as she fights to return the money she said is rightfully belongs to the town.

"This is a vehicle for cities and towns to get behind, to raise awareness that you're watching how the dollars are being spent," Polito said. "You need this money to come back to you and it's the right thing to do."