Bedford assessor reviews veterans and elderly tax credits, and explains why 2023 revaluation hit homeowners harder than commercial owners

Doug Irvine, Bedford’s town assessor, told the Town Council at its May 21 meeting that a mix of fixed statutory credit amounts and divergent valuation behavior across property types help explain why residential tax bills rose sharply following the town’s 2023 revaluation while many commercial property owners saw tax reductions.

Irvine said the town has long offered an optional veterans credit commonly administered at $500 even though the statutory “standard” credit is $50; Bedford has not raised its optional amount for many years. “Our credit amount has been static for more than a decade,” Irvine said, adding that because residential assessed values rose substantially since 2012, the per‑credit impact on lost revenue has fallen even as the…