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Date: 9/29/2021
RUSSELL – Board of Assessors Chairman Thomas Ray and consultant Roy Bishop had some good news for taxpayers at the Select Board meeting on Sept. 21 convened by Wayne Precanico, when they announced that the tax rate would be significantly lower for 2022 due to new growth and increased residential values.
Ray said the town voted for a single tax rate in 2020 after traditionally having a split rate, and he would recommend the same for the new fiscal year.
“We don’t have enough commercial business for a split rate,” he said.
The single tax rate is coming down from $21.71 per $1,000 in assessed value to $19.90, Ray said, due to a very large increase in residential valuations. He said new growth is also “wonderful,” due to new properties, Dollar General, the windmills paying off and collecting on solar arrays.
“Properties are selling at higher prices than ever before,” Ray said, which meant they were able to use the increased valuations and offer a tax rate that was almost $2 down, and still keep tax payments the same. Accountant Nancy Boersig said the Dollar General picked up over $900,000 in value.
“The more businesses we can bring into town, the better for taxpayers,” she said.
Ray noted that if a resident remodeled their house and added bathrooms, they are going to see a higher increase at a lower rate.
“Even with a wild increase in value, taxes paid are going to be about flat,” he said.
In response to a question, Bishop said currently there is $391,616 in the levy limit that is not raised and appropriated. He said the tax rate still needs to be finalized by the state Department of Revenue.
“We are reasonably certain $19.90 will come up. It may change two cents up or down,” he said.
The Select Board voted to approve a single tax rate, 3 to 0, and the hearing was closed.
The board also voted to appoint Carrie Florek as an assessor. Florek is also Council on Aging coordinator for Russell, a position she plans to keep.
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Under new business at the meeting on Sept. 22, the board said a public hearing will be required before Comcast can take over the license for cable television, currently held by a town agency. Select Board member Wayne Precanico said Comcast wants to close the licensing process by Oct. 1, though he didn’t know how the company arrived at that date. He said the town has a preliminary agreement to transfer its cable license to Comcast on Oct. 22. The license expires in 2022.
Several attendees at the meeting said Russell needs better television and internet service, as several areas in town are underserved or unserved by Russell Cable.
Timberidge Drive resident Gloria Farrell asked if, after Oct. 22, underserved residents will need to do business directly with Comcast. She said the longtime residents on her road still have DSL service from Verizon, which new residents cannot get, and most put up satellite dishes for television.
“I don’t plan on going anywhere for a while, but when my home eventually changes hands, Verizon will take [DSL] away. Then there will be no access to internet for a new owner. At least I know this now. But that will make it harder to sell my house when the time comes. Prior to the homes in the neighborhood changing hands, no one knew that the new residents would not be allowed to get the Verizon DSL. It was news to me when one of my new neighbors told me. That makes me very nervous, as well as the other older folks in the neighborhood who still have Verizon. And who knows, Verizon could very well take it away from us if they want to, I assume, at anytime,” Farrell said after the meeting. “What we’re trying to do is deal with COVID money. We still need to see what Comcast would do for us.” Farrell said that residents are still in the dark about it.
Steve Delnickas turned in a petition signed by 28 underserved households, saying that the lack of access to high-speed internet reduces home values and makes schooling at home, remote work, home-based businesses, telehealth and daily life very difficult.
“This is a very serious issue, especially under current COVID conditions,” the petition read.
The petitioners asked the Select Board and Finance Committee to designate a portion of the town’s $538,000 in federal pandemic aid from the American Rescue Plan Act to expand broadband access to all taxpayers, and to help defray the cost of last-mile hookups.
One resident said he had recently purchased a house and the sellers failed to mention there was no access to broadband or cable.
“It was hush-hush. This is 2020 — you don’t expect to not have it,” the buyer said.
The following evening, during a public meeting on ARPA funds, the Select Board and two members of the Finance Committee formed a working group on how to expend the funds. Their next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20.