UPDATE on 3 Sep 2018
DATE CHANGE: Tax Classification Hearing for FY 2019 at 5:00 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2018 at the Town Hall.
The Truro Select Board has scheduled its annual Tax Classification Hearing for FY 2019 at 5:00 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2018 at the Town Hall. Although this is a chance for the Selectboard to reconsider part-timers’ overwhelming opposition last year to the adoption of the “5-C RTE”, it is expected that this Residential Tax Exemption (RTE) will be approved for another year at the current rate of 20%.
The SB will also decide whether Truro will tax residential and commercial properties on a “single rate” basis or whether different tax rates will be applied to different classes of property (primary classes are residential and commercial).
The Selectboard will also publicly answer six questions on the 5-C RTE at the classification hearing which it agreed to accept from the Part-Time Resident Taxpayers Advisory Committee, a seven-person committee newly appointed this spring.
Last year, written expressions of concern and issues had a powerful effect on the SelectBoard and became part of the permanent record of the views of part-timers about taxation. Current concerns and issues regarding tax issues should be promptly emailed to members of the Selectboard to again form the basis of a permanent record of our views.
[Find email addressed for Selectboard, Town Manager and TPRTA below]
This is an important opportunity to have your voice heard once again. Even a short note is helpful to make our current views known, individually and collectively. A strong showing in person and in writing will remind the Selectboard that part-time residents are part of their constituency, that we deeply care about the decisions of elected town officials, and are effected by them profoundly, as these decisions affect us all.
Part-time residents should monitor the Truro.gov website to see if a meeting change of venue is announced. Last year, it was moved at the last minute to the Community Center to accommodate heavy attendance. Participants overwhelmingly opposed to the enactment of the RTE last year.
The tax classification meeting is required to be held before the Town sets its tax rate.
Selectboard email addresses are:
Robert Weinstein <rweinstein@truro-ma.gov>,
Paul Wisotzky <pwisotzky@truro-ma.gov>,
Jan Worthington <jworthington@truro-ma.gov>,
Maureen Burgess <mburgess@truro-ma.gov>,
Kristen Reed <kreed@truro-ma.gov>
Rae Ann Palmer <rpalmer@truro-ma.gov>
TPRTA Truro <tprta@tprta.org>