Newburyport Property Tax Rate in FY 13

Here is a link to the story on Newburyport's tax rate: 

http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x520553804/-184-hike-for-Port-taxpayers

Here is the link to the story on Amesbury's tax rate:

http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x520554319/Amesbury-property-tax-rate-may-set-record-in-state 

Here is the link to Salisbury's tax rate:
http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x1839363904/Salisbury-homeowners-to-see-112-tax-hike

One simple way to describe Proposition 2 1/2 is that overall local property taxes can increase each year by up to 2.5% over the previous year's limit, plus any new growth and any overrides/debt exclusions.The bottom line is that for the first time in a number of years Newburyport's overall property taxes were not increased by the maximum allowed of 2.5%.

Newburyport's new rate is $13.32 instead of the $13.42 allowed.   So that is a bit of a break for taxpayers.

In 2010 Mayor John Moak and the Council reduced the tax rate from the maximum allowed by $0.01.

In 2003 Mayor Al Lavender and the Council reduced the tax rate from the maximum allowed by $0.15.

Our FY 2012 residential tax rate of $12.80 was the 114th lowest in Massachusetts; in other words, 237 communities had a higher residential tax rate.

Our FY 2012 commercial tax rate of $12.80 was the 82nd lowest in Massachusetts; in other words, 269 communities had a higher commercial tax rate.

Late note: One reader noticed a key thing: just because the tax rate is low doesn't mean that taxes are low.

So (as I said) we have a relatively low residential tax rate and 237 towns/cities are higher than we are.

But (and I'll put this online soon) our average single family tax bill is higher than all but about 68 communities.  Because our home values are on average higher, the average bill even with somewhat lower tax rates ends up being pretty high.

Below is a chart I created of the historic tax rate each year per $1,000 of value since 1982. The table of data is further below.  The information and much more is at http://www.mass.gov/dor/local-officials/municipal-data-and-financial-management/data-bank-reports/

City	FY	Tax Rate
Newburyport	1982	23.90
Newburyport	1983	24.60
Newburyport	1984	22.78
Newburyport	1985	22.78
Newburyport	1987	11.79
Newburyport	1988	12.61
Newburyport	1989	13.46
Newburyport	1990	11.72
Newburyport	1991	11.99
Newburyport	1992	13.53
Newburyport	1993	15.49
Newburyport	1994	16.02
Newburyport	1995	16.62
Newburyport	1996	16.65
Newburyport	1997	17.03
Newburyport	1998	17.59
Newburyport	1999	16.37
Newburyport	2000	16.81
Newburyport	2001	17.44
Newburyport	2002	13.11
Newburyport	2003	13.65
Newburyport	2004	14.29
Newburyport	2005	10.52
Newburyport	2006	10.26
Newburyport	2007	10.09
Newburyport	2008	10.13
Newburyport	2009	10.93
Newburyport	2010	11.66
Newburyport	2011	12.07
Newburyport	2012	12.80
Newburyport	2013	13.32