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Hampden Keeps Single Tax Rate; Board Rejects Open‑space, Residential and Small‑business Exemptions
Summary
The Town of Hampden select board voted to retain a single tax rate and rejected three optional exemptions, after assessors reported FY26 valuations rose to roughly $1.3 billion and projected an average single‑family tax‑bill increase of about $631 (≈10%).
The Hampden select board voted at its Nov. 24 meeting to adopt a single tax rate for fiscal 2026 and to reject an open‑space discount, a residential exemption and a small commercial exemption.
Principal Assessor Jane Ferntino told the board the Massachusetts Department of Revenue approved town valuations for FY26, with the town’s total valuation increasing from about $977 million in FY25 to roughly $1.3 billion for FY26 — an increase of about $53 million. The average single‑family home value rose from about $419,000 to about $441,271, a roughly 5.3% increase. Ferntino said the estimated tax rate for FY26 is about 15.76 compared with 15.09 in FY25, and that the average single‑family tax bill would climb from approximately $6,322.71 to $6,954.43, an annual increase of about $631 or roughly 10%.
Board members and assessors discussed factors contributing to the increase, including a larger overlay to cover anticipated abatements or uncollectible taxes, a veterans’ tax exemption that added roughly $40,000–$45,000 to the overlay, and pending appeals that could affect liabilities. The assessors also reported about $4 million of new personal‑property growth from a solar array and roughly $5.2 million from several public‑utility accounts.
After questions from the board, a member moved to adopt a single‑factor tax rate; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board then voted not to adopt an open‑space discount, not to adopt a residential exemption (a tool usually used in communities with many second homes), and not to adopt the small commercial exemption; each motion passed by voice vote.
The board closed the tax classification hearing after thanking the assessors for their guidance and said it will publish the finalized tax‑rate recap sheet and include the financial summary in the meeting minutes. The select board noted that a future debt exclusion for a new fire station would be treated separately from the tax rate and could add hundreds of dollars to individual bills when bonded.
