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Hampden officials weigh local options to expand veteran property tax exemptions under HERO Act
Summary
Select Board discussed four local options added by the state HERO Act that would expand how veterans and surviving family members qualify for real-estate tax exemptions, and asked staff to prepare warrant language for possible town-meeting votes.
Assessors staff presented four local-option changes tied to the HERO Act that would let Hampden widen eligibility or increase exemption amounts for veterans and certain surviving family members if the town accepts the changes at town meeting.
The options described include a new Clause 22g to allow trust-owned dwellings to qualify when a veteran is a beneficiary; Clause 22h for full local exemptions for surviving parents or guardians of service members who died or were incapacitated in service (without state reimbursement); Clause 22j to raise existing exemption amounts by a percentage chosen by the town; and Clause 22i to apply an annual cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) to existing exemption amounts.
Assessors staff said the town cannot predict exact costs for 22g because the assessors are not aware of specific trust situations in…
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