By Joan F. Simoneau. Community Reporter
Marlborough – The City Council approved the new real estate property tax rates for 2014 as presented by Mayor Arthur Vigeant and the Board of Assessors at its Dec. 2 meeting. A public hearing preceded the vote that sets the tax rate at $16.11 for residential homeowners and $28.22 for commercial and industrial property.
The impact on a single family home valued at $288,900 would increase by $113, according to examples included in the mayor's communication. Condominiums valued at $142,200 would increase by $150, while taxes on multi-family homes would remain about the same.
“The goal over the past decade has been to gradually reduce the amount by which taxes have been shifted to the commercial/industrial (C/I) sector, in the interest of making Marlborough a more desirable place for employers to locate their businesses,” the Board of Assessors stated in its communication to the council. “Last year, property owners paid approximately 47.6 percent of their property taxes levied by the city. This year, it is proposed that the C/I sector pay 46.8 percent of levied taxes while the remaining 53.2 percent be borne by residential property owners.”
Speaking in favor of the recommendation during the public hearing was Susanne Morreale Leeber, president and CEO of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“As I have stated before the commercial/industrial/personal property tax portion of the city's tax base is an important and valuable resource to the city and should not be underestimated or taken for granted, but rather protected and encouraged to flourish,” she said. ?”I would like to thank you all for keeping this fact in mind by narrowing the split to 1.40 percent.”
No one spoke in opposition to the proposal.
Accompanying Vigeant at the public hearing were assessors Bradford Dunn and Harald Scheid and comptroller Brian Doheny. Each year, prior to the mailing of third-quarter tax bills, the City Council holds a public hearing to determine the percentage of the city's property tax levy to be borne by each major property class.
In other business, councilors voted to reschedule until January a public hearing on the proposed amendment to the City Code for zoning of medical and dental clinics due to advertising requirements.
