Harwich Select Board Votes To Continue Single Tax Rate

HARWICH – The Harwich Select Board has voted keep all property taxed at the same rate for the next fiscal year.

The board heard arguments on whether to grant an open space discount shifting the tax burden from open space properties to residential properties.

The board also had to decide on whether to grant a residential or small business exemption which would shift residential tax burdens on to part time residents, or shift the tax burdens of commercial, industrial, and personal property classes from certain small commercial properties to other commercial and industrial properties, respectively.

Board of Assessors Chair Richard Waystack urged the town to vote for a residential factor of “1” which would ensure the same tax rate is applied to all classes of properties and taxed at a single rate per thousand dollars of property value, in accordance with the historical pattern of the town.

According to Waystack, altering the tax rate would negatively impact certain property groups.

“People hear of shifting the tax burden to other classes, we just don’t have the commercial industrial property to be able to do that without impacting a number of people,” said Waystack.

Waystack also noted that second homeowners already pay a higher premium.

“Our second homeowners pay a personal property tax, which is in addition to what they’re paying in their property taxes, so we currently already charge our second homeowners a higher level of tax than we do our residential tax payers,” said Waystack.

The tax rate for the 2022 fiscal year is estimated to be $8.12, a decrease of 5.6% below the prior year.

The town witnessed a 2.6% increase in total valuation over that same period.

Board Member Donald Howell expressed interest in revisiting the issue next year, considering the option to tax homeowners with several houses.

The board voted unanimously to approve the residential factor of one, and to not grant the open space, residential, or small commercial exemptions.

By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter

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