Politics & Government
How Does Wayland's FY12 Tax Rate Compare?
Wayland ranks among the highest tax rates in Boston's western suburbs, but will pay less in FY12 than in FY11.
FY12 property tax rates are set, and action by Wayland residents at a November Special Town Meeting kept Wayland from having the highest residential tax rate in the state.
Wayland’s FY12 tax rate of $19.01 per $1,000 of assessed property value places it tied with Greenfield at the number 11 position in the state. Sharon has the highest tax rate at $20.11, which is less than Wayland residents would have paid – $20.71 – under the .
During a November Special Town Meeting, however, Wayland residents voted to from the town’s free cash account, thereby reducing the tax burden on residents by the same amount which reduced the tax rate from the expected $20.71 to the now-certified $19.01.
Find out what's happening in Waylandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
With the exceptions of Holbrook and Maynard, the communities with the 20 highest property taxes in the state are operating with a uniform tax rate, meaning residential, commercial, industrial and all other properties in the town or city are taxed at the same rate.
Wayland’s Board of Selectmen voted to maintain Wayland’s uniform tax rate , citing a desire to attract business to the town as Wayland Town Center construction gets underway.
Find out what's happening in Waylandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“For the time being, the commercial tax base [in Wayland] is very low,” Board of Selectmen Chair Tom Fay said during that meeting. “[The] last thing we want to do is scare away business.”
The average Wayland home assessment in FY12 is $593,050, which means the average taxpayer will owe $11,274. While Wayland saw its FY12 tax rate decrease from its FY11 tax rate, other peer towns saw an increase. "Peer towns" are established by the Wayland Finance Committee as 10 benchmark communities for "certain financial and non-financial measures."
Some Peer Town Tax Rates
Rates are per $1,000 of valuation.
Community
Residential Rate
Residential Rate
Commercial and Industrial Rate
Commercial and Industrial Rate
2012
2011
2012
2011
Concord
13.58
13.19
13.58
13.19
13.81
12.37
18.17
16.27
Scituate 12.34 11.25 12.34 11.25Sudbury
17.60
17.03
22.95
22.27
Wayland
19.01
19.35
19.01
19.35
Weston
12.11
11.39
12.11
11.39
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
