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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-09-02 Tax Classification Task Force MinutesReading 1993 Tax Classification October 26, 1993 Page C-2 of 13 Task Force Report TAX CLASSIFICATION TASK FORCE MINUTES Meeting: September 2, 1993 7:30 P.M. Town Hall Conference Room Present: Steven Cool Pres. Reading Taxpayers Association David Billard Town Appraiser David Hurley Pres. Reading Realtors Association Beth Klepeis Town Finance Director Bill Burditt Board of Selectmen Mollie Ziegler Board of Assessors Dick Coco Chairman Finance Committee Absent: Bill Goodrich Community Planning & Development Comm. Leslie McGonagle Chamber of Commerce Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner called the meeting to order and outlined the purpose of the Tax Classification Task Force, which is to consider the issue of whether to charge different tax rates for different classifications of real estate property, and to make a report to the Board of Assessors before the classification hearing. Mr. Hechenbleikner then called for election of officers. Steven Cool had volunteered to be chairman and was duly elected by the group. Beth Klepeis volunteered to be secretary and was also elected. Chairman Cool proposed dates for subsequent meetings of the task force. The group decided to meet 9/9 and 9/27 at 7:30 P.M. and on 10/7 if necessary. The next order of business was to discuss what areas of concern should be examined and what data wold be needed from the Town's staff people (ie. Dave Billard and Beth Klepeis). It was decided that Dave Billard would collect data from comparable or neighboring communities to see what percentage shares of property exist in those communities and whether the communities have a split tax rate or not. He would contact the Department of Revenue municipal data base and would contact the individual communities as well, if needed. The communities requested by the task force were: Winchester, Lexington, Needham, North Andover, Lynnfield, Wakefield, North Reading, and Stoneham. Dave would also try to ascertain the impact of what other towns are doing, and the ratio of classification if there is a split rate. If we can find a community similar to Reading which did split their rate, what was there experience? The following questions were posed: (1) Can you have reverse tax rate classification (i.e. residential tax higher than commercial and industrial)? (2) Can you have incentives built into classification to make Reading more attractive to business? (3) How can we determine what the long range impact of a split tax rate might be? (4) Should the issue be held until the commercial property on Walkers Brook Drive is sold? (Continued...) Reading 1993 Tax Classification October 26, 1993 Page C-3 of 13 Task Force Report It was suggested that we create a list of town services which are provided for and used by businesses and town services which are provided for and used by residential property owners. The group decided to review at its next meeting the package of information traditionally presented to the Board of Selectmen by the Board of Assessors at Classification hearings. Mr. Cool reported to the group that the Reading Tax Payers Association was having a forum on real estate valuation at the library on October 28, 1993. The meeting adjourned at 9:30 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth W. Klepeis Secretary TAX CLASSIFICATION TASK FORCE MINUTES Meeting: September 2, 1993 7:30 P.M. Town Hall Conference Room Present: Steven Cool David Billard David Hurley Beth Klepeis Bill Burditt Mollie Ziegler Dick Coco Pres. Reading Taxpayers Association Town Appraiser Pres. Reading Realtors Association Town Finance Director Board of Selectmen Board of Assessors Chairman Finance Committee Absent: Bill Goodrich Community Planning & Development Comm. Leslie McGonagle Chamber of Commerce Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner called the meeting to or- der and outlined the purpose of the Tax Classification Task Force, which is to consider the issue of whether to charge dif- ferent tax rates for different classifications of real estate property, and to make a report to the Board of Assessors before the classification hearing. Mr. Hechenbleikner then called for election of officers. Steven Cool had volunteered to be chairman and was duly elected by the group. Beth Klepeis volunteered to be secretary and was also elected. Chairman Cool proposed dates for subsequent meetings of the task force. The group decided to meet 9/9 and 9/27 at 7:30 P.M. and on 10/7 if necessary. The next order of business was to dis- cuss what areas of concern should be examined and what data wold be needed from the Town's staff people (ie. Dave Billard and Beth Klepeis). It was decided that Dave Billard would collect data from comparable or neighboring communities to see what percentage shares of property exist in those communities and whether the communities have a split tax rate or not. He would contact the Department of Revenue municipal data base and would contact the individual communities as well, if needed. The communities requested by the task force were: Winchester, Lexington; Needham, North Andover, Lynnfield, Wakefield, North Reading, and Stoneham. Dave would also try to ascertain the impact of what other towns are doing, and the ratio of classification if there is a split rate. If we can find a community similar to Reading which did split their rate, what was there experience? The following questions were posed: (1) Can you have reverse tax rate classification (i.e. residen- tial tax higher than commercial and industrial)? (2) Can you have incentives built into classification to make Reading more attractive to business? 1 (3) How can we determine what the long range impact of a split tax rate might be? (4) Should the issue be held until the commercial property on Walkers Brook Drive is sold? It was suggested that we create a list of town services which are provided for and used by businesses and town services which are provided for and used by residential property owners. The group decided to review at its next meeting the package of information traditionally presented to the Board of Selectmen by the Board of Assessors at Classification hearings., Mr. Cool reported to the group that the Reading Tax Payers Association was having a forum on real estate valuation at the library on October 28, 1993. The meeting adjourned at 9:30 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Eliza eth Klepeis Secre ary 2