NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday night approved a tax rate of $17.39 per $1,000 valuation, up 4 percent over last year.
The increase from last year's $16.69 is expected to cost the owner of an average single-family home valued at $134,500 an extra $65 a year.
The rate was set when the council OK'd a CIP (commercial, industrial and personal property) shift of 1.71, a factor that has been in effect for several years. Without the split rate, the rate would have been $22.18 for all property.
"As we establish this CIP shift tonight, we are assuring our community that we will be able to provide services at acceptable levels," said Mayor Richard Alcombright in recommending maintaining the 1.71 shift to the commercial side.
The commercial rate rose to $37.93 per $1,000 valuation, up from $36.03 over last year.
The tax levy toward the city's $41,395,995 fiscal 2016 budget is $15,732,057, an increase of 4.75 percent over last year.
The city's total valuation has dropped for the second consecutive year, down nearly $3 million from last year and $22 million from 2009, at the brink of the global economic collapse.
Overall, residential values are down nearly $7 million and commercial about $350,000; on the other hand, industrial values are up nearly $800,000 and personal property nearly $4 million.
Personal property was also a large part of the $11 million in new growth, accounting for about $6 million.
In response to questions from councilors, Assessor Ross Vivori said the drop in values reflects slow and lower-priced real estate sales.
"It's a combination of things, primarily it's the market, the market in the past months, the sales weren't there to increase the market values," he said. "Some of the information that was gathered during the cyclical inspection did bring the values down, not significantly, most about a $1,000."
This is a revaluation year for the city, which completed its mandatory three-year inspections and recertification by the state Department of Revenue.
The council approved with little discussion the CIP shift 6-1, with Councilor Wayne Wilkinson abstaining. Councilors Joshua Moran and Jennifer Breen were not in attendance.
Councilor Kate Merrigan, left, poses with new Public Arts Commissioners Erica Manville, Julia Dixon and William Blackmer.
In other business, the council approved the founding members of the new Public Arts Commission, which will review requests for art projects or pieces to be installed on city property. The vote was again 6-1, this time with Council President Lisa Blackmer abstaining because her husband was being appointed.
The commission was authorized in September 2014 to have seven resident members including those with backgrounds in arts, art education, art criticism, museum curation, real estate development, architecture and two at-large.
Appointed were Julia Dixon (2016), former managing director of Berkshire Creative and current creative economy specialist of 1Berkshire.
• Cynthia Quinones (2016), former director of education for Barrington Stage and an English teacher in the Pittsfield Public Schools.
• Eric Kerns (2017), former director of marketing and development for Williamstown Theatre Festival and current project manager for Redwood Motel/Blackinton Mill redevelopment.
• Gail Kolis Sellers (2017), potter and co-owner of River Hill Pottery and founder with her husband, Phil, of Art About Town.
• Erica Manville (2018), visual arts teacher and after-school and community outreach coordinator for the North Adams Public Schools.
• Nancy Ziter (2019), school department business manager and former board member and business volunteer for arts programs.
• William C. Blackmer Jr. (2020), retired state police station commander, arts enthusiast and member of the board of Berkshire County Kids Place.
Alcombright said Councilor Kate Merrigan had been instrumental in putting together "a tremendous slate of people for this commission."
"This was truly a collaborative process," said Merrigan. "I'm very excited because I think this is group has some interesting work to do ... I can't wait to get started."
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