AMHERST — Average annual tax bills for homeowners with single-family homes in town will be rising by just over $200 early next year.
Town Council voted 12-1 Monday to approve a recommendation from the Board of Assessors and Town Manager Paul Bockelman to set a single tax rate for both residential and commercial properties. District 5 Councilor Darcy DuMont voted against the recommendation.
The decision at the tax classification hearing means residential property owners will see an expected increase in property taxes from $7,989 to $8,194, based on estimates provided by Principal Assessor Elizabeth Duffy.
That $205 increase is less than the average $275 increase last year and reflects a tax rate expected to be set at $21.82 per $1,000 of property value. The average single-family home is assessed at $375,507.
In the current year, the tax rate is $21.32 per $1,000 of property value and the average single-family home is assessed at $374,722.
The council opted against a split tax rate, which would place more burden on commercial properties. The proposed rates would have saved residential taxpayers about $500 apiece.
Duffy, the assessor, said that unlike communities on the Interstate 91 corridor and cities and towns that are in proximity to transportation hubs, Amherst isn’t in a position to use a split rate. She pointed to her own familiarity with Windsor Locks, Connecticut, where she was an assessor for several years, in noting the benefit it derives from being near Bradley International Airport.
Councilors also voted against what is known as a residential exemption, which would make nonresidents pay more in taxes on their properties. In Amherst, using such an exemption would likely lead to a pass-through of the additional tax burden to renters, who include not only college students but senior citizens and others on fixed incomes.
No public feedback was received by the Town Council during the hearing.
