Essex Junction adopts FY26 property tax rate of 1.008

The Essex Junction City Council voted to set the FY2026 general property tax rate at 1.008 and the tax agreement rate at 0.0022, councilors said during their regular meeting. The council approved the rates on a voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Finance staffer Jess Morris told the council the numbers reflect a small drop in the grand list driven by a state change in how utilities — notably dams and their energy production — are valued. “We saw a pretty significant decrease in the utility values on the grand list,” Morris said, and added that other value increases absorbed most of the impact so the town faced “just over an $82,000 decrease in the grand list rather than the $13–14 million we were looking at originally.”

The tax-setting follows voters’ instruction in April to raise just over $11 million in property taxes for FY26, Morris said. She showed the council a rate chart in the meeting packet and said the change represents roughly a 3.5 percent increase in the overall tax rate; on the example Morris used, it would add about $96 on a $280,000 assessed property.

Resident Dorothy Bergedahl asked why the staff example uses $280,000 as the sample assessed value; Morris explained the city uses assessed values for examples and that individual assessments vary. “It’s not what you can buy; it’s what the assessed value of the home is,” Morris said.

After the presentation, a councilor moved and the council seconded the motion to adopt the rates as presented. The council voted “aye” on the motion.

What this means: the council adopted the rates the administration recommended; the council did not change exemptions or other tax-policy elements in this session. Staff said reassessment work currently underway will determine future assessed values for later budgets.

The vote: motion to adopt FY26 general tax rate 1.008 and tax agreement rate 0.0022 — approved by voice vote (all in favor).