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Beverly Council approves 1.75 residential shift, rejects open-space exemption
Summary
The Beverly City Council voted unanimously (8–0) Dec. 1 to adopt a 1.75 residential shift (residential factor 90.1849) for the FY2026 tax levy and to decline an open-space exemption. Assessors said the shift moves about $11.75 million of the levy from residential to commercial/industrial classes.
The Beverly City Council on Dec. 1 approved a 1.75 classification shift (residential factor 90.1849) for the FY2026 tax levy and voted not to adopt an open-space exemption, voting 8–0 to carry both measures.
Francis Golden, chief and chair of the Beverly Board of Assessors, told the council the assessors calculated the shift and its distributional impact. "The assessors recommend a SIP shift of 1.75 for fiscal year 26, the same shift that we've approved since '21," Golden said during the posted classification hearing, noting that the change transfers roughly $11,751,389 of levy burden from the residential to the commercial, industrial and personal property classes.
The shift is permitted under state classification law; Golden and staff explained other options, including a residential exemption and a small commercial exemption, both of which the mayor declined to recommend. Golden described the mechanics and potential effects, saying an open-space exemption is moot in Beverly because only one property would be affected and assessors recommended declining it.
Jerry Perry, the city's budget analyst, emphasized the time-sensitive procedural steps for setting the tax rate. "The FY '26 average single family bill is $8,833.93. Up 4.83% from last year. With an increase of $406.80 from the prior fiscal year," Perry said, and urged the council to act in December to avoid delaying bills until May and creating cash-flow problems.
Council members asked staff about how a small-business (small commercial) exemption would be analyzed. Golden and staff said the Department of Revenue's corporate listing can be used as a starting point and that the assessors' office could identify qualifying businesses if councilors request the legwork. The mayor and assessors recommended no residential or small-commercial exemptions this year.
The committee of the whole approved the same motions in subcommittee (3–0), and the full council followed with unanimous votes (8–0) to adopt the 1.75 shift and to decline the open-space exemption. With the votes, staff will finalize the tax-rate recap and submit it to the Department of Revenue to allow issuance of third- and fourth-quarter tax bills.
The council closed the classification public hearing after no members of the public signed up to speak.
