Erving Sets FY25 Tax Rate at $9.31, Approves Small Business Exemption

ERVING -- December 9, 2024, Erving sets its FY25 residential tax rate at $9.31 per thousand and approves a small commercial exemption. The Select Board and Board of Assessors voted unanimously at the December 9 joint session to adopt a 65 percent minimum residential factor, yielding a commercial, industrial, and personal property rate of $15.59 per thousand. The town's overlay account stands at roughly $2.3 million, $261,000 added this year, largely to buffer against a pending appellate tax board case whose outcome remains unknown. Member William Bembury pressed for greater transparency after actual FY24 local receipts, driven heavily by investment income, came in at approximately $650,000 against an estimate of $368,000, with the surplus flowing into the overlay without prior public discussion. The boards agreed to hold an August check-in on local receipts each year going forward, and separately approved a $194,414 small commercial tax exemption benefiting 10 eligible businesses.