SOUTHWICK – The Board of Selectmen set the tax at a minimum residential factor of one again this week and the state certified a rate of $16.94 per $1,000 valuation.
The recommendation of a single tax rate was given by the Southwick Board of Assessors. Chairman Paul Connolly noted that the majority of taxpayers in town are residents.
“Commercial makes up just 5.5 percent and industrial is 2 percent,” Connolly said. “We recommend we maintain a tax rate of one.”
Finance Committee member Robert Horacek spoke in favor of the single rate. Resident Deb Herath spoke during the single rate discussion and told selectmen that residents of the lakes would be seeking tax relief once a sand and gravel mining business on the Connecticut side of the lakes gets underway.
“People will petition to bring the value of the lake down, just when you need it most,” she told the board before the vote Monday.
Many towns and cities elect to have a split rate, which usually shifts the tax burden onto commercial and industrial property owners. In Westfield, the residential rate is $18.18 and the CIP is $33.84. Granville also has a single tax rate of $12.66, while Agawam has a split rate of $15.55 for residents and $27.93 for CIP.
Last week. the board voted to use $50,000 in overlay funds to lower the rate from $17.06 to $16.94. Town Accountant Carol DellaGiustina said the town was able to benefit from the lower rate also because of new growth, increases in value, and a stricter budget.
