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Brookfield residents press selectboard for explanation after sharp property tax increases
Summary
Residents at a Brookfield Town selectboard meeting said December tax bills jumped substantially and pressed the board to invite the school-district chair for a public explanation; the board scheduled a January discussion and urged residents to review the proposed budget before the January 6 public hearing.
Brookfield Town residents filled the selectboard meeting to demand answers after several people reported large jumps in their property tax bills. Gus Stratton, a resident, said he saw "approximately 16% increase in our tax rate" and that the town share on some bills looked closer to 28% while the school share was about 17%, calling the combined rise "very very high." Stratton proposed the town form a committee or hold a public hearing to examine options including possible service consolidation with neighboring towns.
Former state representative Ed Camo told the board the "elephant in the room is the school," arguing that school-related costs, low attendance at school budget meetings, and union-driven expenses have pushed rates up. Rob Collins, a Stone Road resident and local business owner, urged the board to obtain precise data that separates enrollment-driven changes from spending increases so voters can better understand what a budget vote will mean for their December tax bill.
Selectboard members said the town cannot unilaterally change school-district obligations but agreed public discussion is warranted. The board said it would invite the chairman of the Governor Winthrop School District to a January meeting and arranged a public opportunity for residents to question the district before its deliberative session; the board also confirmed a town public hearing on the proposed town budget for January 6. "We will ask the chairman of the Governor Winthrop School District to come in and address questions from the public about last year's budget," a selectboard member said at the meeting.
Board members and residents discussed practical constraints: a 40-year bond for school construction and mortgage obligations that would remain even if Brookfield sought to withdraw from the cooperative district, and the legal/technical limits around leaving regional agreements. Several residents also requested short-term relief options, such as temporary interest deferrals, and the board noted state rules limit the town's authority over payment terms.
The selectboard encouraged residents to attend the January 6 public hearing, review the line-item proposed budget and the town report, and participate in the scheduled January session with the school-district chair so voters can better understand how the town and the district budgets together affect individual tax bills.
