WILMINGTON, MA — After Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, Wilmington residents now have a better understanding of how much property taxes will be increasing this fiscal year.
The Bad News
After a vote on the town’s budget at Annual Town Meeting in May, coupled with a vote by the Board of Selectmen at Monday’s meeting, the average Wilmington single family tax bill will increase by $293.03.
Last fiscal year, the average Wilmington single family tax bill was $5,465.97. This year, the town’s Principal Assessor Karen Rassias reports that number to be $5,759.00. This represents a 5.36% increase.
The Good News
1.) It could have been much worse! Under Massachusetts General Law, each year the Wilmington Board of Selectmen must determine the percentages of the town’s tax levy that will be paid by each class of real and personal property.
As in years past, Selectmen unanimously voted to shift the maximum allowable (175%) to Commercial, Industrial and Personal Property class, leaving the Residential class to feel the least amount of tax burden.
With no shift, residential property tax owners would have had to make up 76.6781% of the tax levy. With the approved shift, residential tax property owners only make up 59.1857%. The remaining 40.8133% of the tax levy will comprise of commercial, industrial and personal property taxpayers.
2.) Also, as was noted by the Principal Assessor and several Selectmen, while the average tax bill is increasing by $293 this fiscal year, last year’s increase was $364, so while taxes continue to rise, the annual increase is getting smaller.
3.) The town just went through a “recertification year,” which occurs every three years, where it reassesses the values of all properties in town. Assessed property values this year were established by analyzing calendar year 2014 sales and income data. The Assessor’s Office analysis showed that the value of the average single family home in Wilmington increased approximately 3.5%, reflecting stabilization and increase in the current residential marketplace. In FY15, the average single family home was assessed at $380,653. In FY16, the assessed value has jumped to $393,643.
Selectmen Reaction
“The bottom line is this is what we can do as a Board of Selectmen to affect the property taxes in the town,” said Selectman Lou Cimaglia. “This is basically all we can do as Selectmen — shift more to the CIP (commercial, industrial and personal property tax classes) than the residential tax class.”
“I, for one, am not in favor of cutting any of the services. I don’t think we have a lot of fat in the budget that Town Meeting adopts,” said Selectman Mike Newhouse. “Year in and year out, every Board of Selectmen that I can recall, has voted to maximize the shift with accordance to the highest amount allowed by law at the time.”
“This Board of Selectmen has always passed more of the burden to the commercial class,” said Selectman Mike McCoy. “The town of Wilmington gets a big bang for their buck and no user fees.”
“No one likes to have more taxes,” noted Selectman Mike Champoux, “but the upside is [their] nest egg is growing.”
“The message is clear – we’re voting on a tax shift classification and we’re availing ourselves to the maximum opportunity to lighten the load on the residential tax base,” said Selectwoman Judy O’Connell. “I’m pleased to see the growth in town – residential tax values have continued to increase… Residents can at least feel good about the fact that as they’re paying taxes in town, their property value and their investment in their children, families and homes are continuing to pay off in parallel.”
No resident or taxpayer chose to speak during the Public Hearing.
Watch the discussion, courtesy of Wilmington Community Television, below. It begins at the 2-minute mark and lasts 20 minutes.
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Wilmington Apple 
I have lived in Wilmington since 1988! Since that time my taxes have increased each & every year! Even when property values were down, the taxes still go up which mean my monthly mortgage payment goes up!! I have to say I am tired of it! I don’t get pay raises every year to keep up with the tax increases! My taxes are now $7500 for a house that is 35 years old! It’s insane!!!