By Adam Swift
The town council referred the Fiscal Year 2026 tax classification to the finance committee at its regular meeting last night.
The committee is expected to make a recommendation on the tax classification to the council at its next meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
“This is something that happens every year, it is where we are going to discuss whether we go with the one (classification) rate, which is what we have done for the past decades,” said Council President Jim Letterie.
The council has the option to vote on either a single tax rate, where personal property and commercial and industrial properties are taxed at the same rate, or a split tax rate, where there is a heavier property tax burden shifted onto the commercial and industrial properties.
Letterie said the finance committee will provide data to the council on whether the town should consider going to the two class rate or remain with a single rate.
“Usually, in the past, it has come out that because we have such a small percentage of business in town, we have less than 8 percent of a commercial base, which means that you are going to put a huge burden on businesses at a minimal savings,” said Letterie. “Usually, it is going to cost the average business owner another four or five hundred a year to save the average homeowner … $10 to $15 a year. But we will get those numbers, there will be a presentation before us at the next meeting.”
In other business, Letterie said Rob O’Dwyer, the town’s representative to the Northeast Vocational High School, will also be before the town council at its next meeting for an update on the vocational school’s new high school project and the expected increase in Winthrop students who will be eligible to attend the school.
O’Dwyer was initially scheduled to attend last week’s council meeting, but Letterie noted that he had prior business involving the vocational school and had to reschedule.