Swampscott attorney raises concern over tax assessment notification; hearing continued

SWAMPSCOTT – The Board of Selectmen received information from the Board of Assessors Tuesday evening to help them determine the residential-commercial tax ratio once the state certifies the assessed values.State law allows municipalities to tax businesses at up to 175 percent of that residential property. For more than a decade the town has been taxing businesses at a higher rate than that paid by residential property owners.After an hour of discussion, the selectmen took no action on setting the classification because at the public hearing, Attorney William DiMento, who owns a business and home in town, took issue with the way property owners were notified of their right to challenge the assessed value of their property. He said the revaluation was not posted on the town bulletin board or on the town Web site. He pointed the right to challenge the valuation was only published in The Daily Item on Saturday. Assistant Assessor Donna Champagne-O’Keefe said she does not know if the town is required to post the notification of the right to look at and challenge valuations on the public bulletin board.Town Administrator Andrew Maylor said all notifications were posted properly and in accordance with state law.DiMento also took issue with the notice of the tax classification public hearing that was posted on the town bulletin board. DiMento said the font used for the public hearing notice was only nine points.?I think if you were trying to sell something Mr. Maylor you’d do a better job,” DiMento said.Selectman Robert Mazow pointed out DiMento was the only resident at the public hearing this year and last year.?Where were they last year?” Mazow asked.DiMento fired back by saying the town didn’t get the word about the meeting and those who do know about the meeting believe it’s fruitless to attend because the town keeps taxing businesses at the maximum rate allowed by law.O’Keefe said if the state certifies the assessed values and the town maintains the 1:1.75 ration, homeowners would pay $16.60 per $1,000 of assessed value and business owners would pay $30.80 per $1,000 of assessed value. O’Keefe said the owner of a $474,810 home would pay approximately $7,782 in taxes. If businesses and residential properties were taxed at the same rate, O’Keefe said the same residential property owner would pay $8,357 in taxes.Maylor said taxing businesses at 175 percent the rate of businesses saves residential property owners money because the average property owner is paying less than they would if businesses were taxed at the same rate as residential properties.DiMento said he does not believe it is fair to give 93 percent of the people in town a tax break by placing the burden on the backs of the business owners. He pointed out Marblehead and Nahant tax businesses at the same rate as residential.Selectman Richard Malagrifa said he understands DiMento’s concerns and suggested when the economy improves maybe the selectmen could consider shifting some of the tax burden back on homeowners.?I understand we’re as far into the burden on commercial as we’re allowed to be (by law),” Malagrifa said. “Maybe when the economy turns around we can go back the other way.”The Board of Selectmen continued the public hearing until its next meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. next Tuesday and is expected to vote to set the tax rate at that time.