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Brookline opens tax-classification hearing; assessors present options for residential exemption and commercial shift
Summary
At a Nov. 21 tax classification hearing, the town’s chief assessor presented valuation shifts and residential-exemption scenarios (including the 20% option used last year); board members asked for more granular data on rental-unit impacts and continued the hearing to Dec. 3 for further analysis.
Brookline’s Select Board opened a public hearing on Nov. 21 to consider tax-classification choices that would shift tax burden between residential and commercial property and to set a residential exemption percentage.
The town’s new chief assessor (first identified by first name, Ted) told the board the hearing’s purpose is to set a residential factor that shifts levy burden toward the commercial-industrial-personal property class and to consider adopting a residential exemption percentage. Using the Jan. 1, 2024 valuation date, the assessor reported residential values rose about 3.8%, commercial values rose 2.4% and personal property increased roughly 13.8% (driven by new equipment reported by utilities). Total growth for the levy was just under $3.2 million when accounting for new construction and overrides.
The assessor modeled options and their distributional effects. He noted the Select Board set a full-shift (maximum allowed) last year with a 20% residential exemption; under a similar combination the median single-family homeowner would see about a 7.4% tax increase year over year, while the apartment class could see a higher percentage change because apartment valuations are income-based. The assessor explained that small changes to the residential exemption (for example moving from 20% to 19% or 21%) change median tax impacts across property classes differently.
Board members pressed for additional, resident-focused data. They asked for counts of rental units and better estimates of how many residents — not just parcels — would be affected by different classification choices. Members also raised concerns about how shifting burdens affects incentives for owners (for instance, possible condo conversions) and whether apartment owners pass any tax savings through to renters. Harold Peterson (Assessor) and Mark Maer (Assessor) joined the presentation and discussed comparative community approaches; staff agreed to bring additional scenarios and five-year trend charts at a subsequent meeting.
The chair opened the public hearing; no members of the public spoke during the meeting. The board continued the hearing to Dec. 3, 2024 to allow time for staff to provide additional scenario analyses and supporting charts before making a final classification decision.
