NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday voted to maintain the split tax shift, resulting in a drop in the residential and commercial tax rates. 

 

However, higher property values also mean about a $222 higher tax bill.

 

The vote was unanimous with Councilor Deanna Morrow absent. 

 

Mayor Jennifer Macksey recommended keeping a 1.715 shift to the commercial side, the same as last year. This sets the residential rate at $16.71 per $1,000 property valuation, down 43 cents, and the commercial/industrial to $35.22, down $1.12.

 

This is the lowest property tax rate since 2015, when it was $16.69.

 

"My job as the assessor is to assess based on full and fair cash value in an open market, willing buyer, willing seller, arms-length sales," said City Assessor Jessica Lincourt. "So every year, I have to do a sales analysis of everything that comes in."

 

All that documentation also has to be reviewed by the state Department of Revenue.