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Select Board asks assessors for cost analysis of HERO Act real-estate exemption
Summary
Public comment and a Select Board discussion on Jan. 7 prompted the town assessor's office to research how Yarmouth might implement the Massachusetts HERO Act provision doubling veterans' property-tax exemptions and indexing them to inflation; assessors will report back with options and local cost estimates.
The Select Board asked the town's assessors on Wednesday to provide a cost and implementation analysis before deciding whether to put a HERO Act veterans'property-tax exemption on a future town meeting warrant.
Tom Sullivan, a public commenter, urged the board to consider the HERO Act, which expands property-tax exemptions and other benefits for veterans, including increasing real-estate exemptions for disabled veterans. "This is a major change to chapter 59 on real estate exemptions for disabled veterans," Sullivan said during public comment.
Town assessors said they would review how other towns have implemented the law and prepare specific estimates for Yarmouth. Assistant Assessor Andy (surname not provided in the record) told the board the office would examine several options, including a flat increase, indexing the exemption to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), or adopting both measures. The assessors estimated that doubling the town's current exemptions would increase exemptions by roughly $150,000 annually in foregone property-tax revenue; the town receives state reimbursement for a share of veteran exemptions, but assessors said the state match would not increase proportionally, leaving the town to absorb most of the additional cost.
The board asked the assessors to return with a detailed breakdown of options, the likely fiscal impact, and sample warrant language. The assessors said they planned to consult colleagues in other Cape towns, including Harwich, which is moving forward with its own approach, and to present findings at a future Select Board meeting. "We will be discussing this with some other communities as well, so we can give you a little bit more information to maybe help you make a decision," a staff member said.
Select Board members agreed the measure deserved fuller review before placement on a town meeting warrant and asked the assessors to provide a menu of options and estimated costs. The board did not vote on the exemption Wednesday and set no decision deadline; staff suggested bringing a recommendation back in late February for Select Board consideration of a town-meeting article.
The assessors also noted the HERO Act includes other veteran benefits, including changes to annuities and motor-vehicle plates, but the board's discussion focused on the property-tax exemption and its budget impact.
