Amesbury Officials Compromise on 115 Split Tax Rate

The Newburyport Daily News reported that Municipal councilors and the mayor have struck a compromise to leave the town’s split tax rate as-is, with businesses paying a rate 15% higher than homeowners. The average homeowner’s bill will rise by 4% next year ($203). Commercial businesses will see their tax bills go up on average by 21% ($1,708). And industrial properties will see their bills go up on average 12% ($2,084) based on this year’s revaluation. The rate for homeowners is $14.59 per $1,000 of assessed value; for businesses it is $17.20.

The majority of the council had wanted to raise the rate on businesses to 20% more than what homeowners pay; Mayor Thatcher Kezer vetoed that and asked the council to reduce the difference to 10%. In 2006, Amesbury became the first community in the Greater Newburyport area to adopt a split tax rate for homeowners and businesses. Amid strong objections from the public and the mayor at the time — who vetoed last year’s tax rate as well — the Municipal Council adopted the tax rate of 115%.

Read the entire Newburyport Daily News article