Norwell Adopts Single Tax Rate for Fiscal Year 2025

Town Hall Renovation Underway, Completion Expected by March

NORWELL, MA - November 13 - The Norwell Select Board has voted to maintain a single tax rate for all property classes in fiscal year 2025, with an estimated rate of $13.07 per thousand, pending approval from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

At the Nov. 13 meeting, Lane Partridge, principal assessor, presented the tax classification report to the board. The town's total taxable value increased to $3.7 billion, representing a 6.7% overall change from the previous year.

Residential properties saw a 7.45% increase in value, while commercial, industrial, and personal property rose by 1.75%.

Partridge explained the rationale behind recommending a single tax rate: "Norwell has never, what they call, split the rate. It's your makeup of the stock of real estate, does not lend itself to doing a split rate."

He noted that 88.24% of the town's property is residential, with only 11.76% being commercial or industrial. "You need to be around 30% for this to work," Partridge added.

The board also voted against adopting an open space discount, residential exemption, and small commercial exemption, following the assessors' recommendations.

The town's levy limit for FY2025 is set at $55,472,049, with the actual levy expected to be $55,435,666, leaving $36,803 in unused levy capacity.

Partridge highlighted the importance of new growth in the town's tax base. Norwell saw $354,173 in new growth this year, primarily from residential additions and improvements.

"New growth is generally not a guaranteed reoccurring thing," Partridge cautioned. "It fluctuates depending on what is built."

In other business, Town Administrator Darleen Sullivan provided an update on the Town Hall renovation project. "We've obviously signed a contract with the [general contractor]. We're working with South Coast Improvement," Sullivan reported.

The project began with demolition and safety measures on Nov. 13. Sullivan outlined a 120-day timeline for completion, targeting March 20 as the finish date.

"Even in the past couple days, there are some definite changes," Sullivan noted, indicating rapid progress on the renovation.

The board also discussed ongoing efforts to complete lead and copper testing for the town's water supply. Water Superintendent Jason Federico explained the need for 60 samples from specific homes built between 1982 and 1985.

Federico emphasized the urgency of finding volunteers: "I need five people by December." He assured residents that Norwell's water is generally safe, with lead issues typically isolated to individual fixtures rather than the water supply itself.

The board praised Federico for his handling of resident concerns, with member Andy Reardon stating, "You handled it like a prince."

Other items discussed included:

- A reminder about surveys for the multi-generational community center project.

- An upcoming MBTA public information session on Dec. 9 at the middle school.

- The need to fill positions for a veterans' agent and an alternate building inspector.

The next Select Board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 4, with the Special Town Meeting set for Dec. 12 at the middle school.