Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Select board appoints committee to study rail-trail ownership, tax status
Summary
The Town of North Brookfield select board voted to appoint a committee to investigate transferring ownership of rail-trail property from a railroad corporation to the town and to clarify whether the property is taxable, including asking the Massachusetts Department of Transportation about a right of first refusal.
The Town of North Brookfield Board of Selectmen on an April meeting voted to appoint a small committee to investigate ownership, taxation and possible transfer of the former rail line used as the town’s rail trail.
Board members said a review of historical records and case law by resident Brandon Avery suggests the town may not owe property taxes on much of the railroad corridor and that transferring ownership from the railroad corporation to the town could simplify grant applications and maintenance. The board approved a motion to form a committee to gather the initial information and contact state officials; the motion passed by voice vote.
The discussion traced the corridor’s history: residents financed a local railroad corporation in…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
