Home / Archive / VOL. III NO. 17 09/01/2022 / Notes from the Board of Assessors, August 15, Hybrid meeting

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VOL. III NO. 17 09/01/2022

Notes from the Board of Assessors, August 15, Hybrid meeting

Present:

  • Gary Pitney, Chair
  • Doug Goudey
  • Tom Stokes
  • Michael Blay, Town Assessor
  • Tammy Toupence, Secretary
  1. Update on Fiscal ’23 Certification of Valuations
    1. Residential valuations are complete
    2. Commercial valuations to be finished very soon
    3. When complete, Blay will meet with Commonwealth for approval of valuations
    4. New valuations will be posted on Town website and available with a phone call to Assessor — public disclosure of valuations required by law
    5. Valuations based on sales
    6. Under Residential Tax Exemption (RTE) do valuations change? No
  2. Personal Property Tax (PPT) – 700 forms sent out, only 350 returned
    1. By law Stockbridge must collect PPT data and the response must satisfy the Commonwealth. Will 50% satisfy? What to do?
    2. Can impose a fine if not returned
    3. Could start process earlier so there is time to send forms out more than once
    4. Should Stockbridge estimate by taking percentage of building value?
    5. What if 600 of 700 forms returned instead of 350, would valuation change?
    6. Blay hoped to find solution as the 50% return is constant year to year and may not be acceptable to state
    7. Chair preferred to try starting earlier, mailing form more than once, and trying to get a 75% return before instituting a fine
  3. Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum request for Tax exempt (501c3) status
    1. Goudey suggested 11 questions to be asked when any entity requests
    2. Questions sent to Town Counsel
  4. Via Zoom, Sandra Baron complimented Town Assessor Blay and suggested second homeowners watch CTSB replay of meeting for explanation of PPT and its importance
  5. Chair moved that Board go into executive session — public meeting adjourned

Editor’s Notes: 1. Certification of valuations: All cities and towns in the State of Massachusetts assess the value of property using a Mass Appraisal system. This system is a broad approach to predicting the value of properties that did not sell using the information collected about the properties that did sell. 2. By law in Massachusetts, assessments are 100% of full and fair market value 3. Massachusetts requires only second homeowners to list and evaluate personal property (all tangible items that are movable) for the purpose of taxing. Tax to pay is calculated by multiplying the assessed value of the property by the personal property tax rate of the city or town. Personal property is assessed separately from the real estate where it is located.

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