ORLEANS – Orleans could join the 10 Cape and Island communities with a residential tax exemption (RTE), but likely not for another 2 years.
A working group is putting together information for select board members comparing potential RTE’s to other towns on Cape and how it could benefit year-round community members.
Towns like Provincetown have a 35 percent exemption, while Eastham is working on implementing one for 5 percent. An exact amount for Orleans has yet to be determined.
The working group says Orleans and Cape towns like it have a disproportionately high number of second homes and a larger tax burden on year-round residents.
They add with review and approvals, it likely won’t be implemented until 2028 at the earliest.
According to their presentation with the Orleans select board, it is too late for an FY2026 approval, and the Board of Assessors has recommended not approving it in 2027, as it is a recertification year.
About Grady Culhane
