Assessors Office


cameraOur Assessing Department will be taking pictures of residential               properties. All Assessors will have identification.


Board of Assessor Members

Rocco Digirolamo

William Galvin 

Gene Manning (Chairman)

Responsibilities

The Assessors office is the cornerstone of the towns finances. Property taxes are the main source of revenue. The Assessors office administers this critical element of the towns finances.

All property is discovered, listed, valued and classified according to use. Records of ownership as well as detailed descriptions of the property are maintained by the Assessors office. These records are a tremendous source of public information for other town departments, the general public, and professionals. The Assessors office has a detailed sketch of each building in the town, as well as maps showing the locations of these buildings and each real property’s lot line.

Determining Taxes

The amount of taxes you pay is determined by the appropriations voted by the Town. The Town adopts a budget that reflects what services will be provided and the cost to provide those services. After Town Meeting adopts a budget, the amount of taxes to be raised is calculated in accordance with Proposition 2-1/2 and divided by the total taxable valuation of the Town to determine the projected single tax rate. 

The Select Board holds a public hearing to determine whether and how much residential tax will be shifted onto the commercial properties, commonly referred to as the split tax rate (commercial properties pay a higher tax rate than residential properties). All the information is forwarded to the Department of Revenue for its review and approval. 

The tax rates are then finalized to raise the needed dollars to pay for the services that the Town voted to approve.

Property Value Increasing & Decreasing

Sometimes your assessed value increased/decreased when you did not do anything to the property and you are not selling the property. The assessed value represents the estimate of market value of the property. The real estate market changes constantly.

The assessment for Fiscal Year 2024 represents the estimate of market value as of January 1, 2023. This estimate of market value is determined by examining sales of properties for calendar year 2022. Although there may not have been any physical changes to the property, buyers may be paying more or less for properties than they were in previous years.

The assessment changes reflect the changes in the purchase prices of similar homes in the neighborhood. Buyers and sellers determine the market value of properties.

General Rules & Regulations

  • Real Estate/Personal Property Abatements must be filed after you receive your Actual Tax Bill the end of December. Deadline to file is February 1st.
  • Form of List and 3ABC are required by law to be filed on or before March 1st of every year.
  • 61A and 61B are required by law to be filed on or before October 1st of every year.
  • Exemption applications must be submitted by April 1st of every year.


                                        **************

Property Owner, Personal Property, Master Deeds & Subdivisions must be recorded as of  January 1, 2023 to be on the Actual Bill for Fiscal Year 2024.


Directions

Route 128 to Route 138 South. Bear right at the 1st set of lights follow for 3 sets of lights and the Town Hall is on your left.