City Moves Tax Rate in Favor of Business

The Attleboro City Council voted unanimously this week to adopt a tax rate resulting in an average bill increase of $117 for residents and $84 for businesses.

The duel tax rate will be at 33.5 percent, favoring businesses by decreasing 1.5 percent from last year when the rate stood at 35 percent.

The council decided to decrease the burden on businesses in an effort to attract more to the city. This year's decrease in rates for businesses is still more moderate than last year's 7 percent decrease.

"I really like this," Councilman Jeremy Denlea said. "I think it's appropriate and I think it's tempered."

Had the tax rate of 35 percent stayed the same, businesses would have seen a $289 increase and residents would have seen a $102 increase in an average bill.

"If we shift down to 33.5, it adds $15 for the homeowner but saves bussinesses $200 - plus," Councilwoman Sarah-Lynn Reynolds said. "That's incredible."

Councilman Richard Conti reminded residents that the time to voice opinions about municipal spending is in the late spring, as the tax rate does not affect spending.

"I just want the public to understand that the time to do that is during the budget period, not during the tax classification period," he said.