Freetown Adopts 1.7350 Tax Shift, Seeking Equal Burden on Residents and Businesses

FREETOWN -- December 10, 2025, Freetown Board of Selectmen adopts higher tax shift to equalize residential and commercial burden for FY2026. Meeting jointly with the Board of Assessors on December 10, the three-member Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to set a classification shift of 1.7350 and a residential factor of .7999, higher than the prior year's 1.695 shift, after a participant identified as Deb argued the figure would produce roughly equal 5 percent increases for both property classes. Under the adopted shift, the average residential tax bill is projected to rise approximately $261 to $265, compared with $334 under the prior shift; the average commercial bill is estimated to increase about $762. Assessors' staff member Mike noted that average residential assessed values rose 5 to 6 percent this year while commercial values rose about 2 percent, and warned that residents seeking abatements tied to the new commuter rail line face a high evidentiary bar, assessed values are based on a January 1, 2025 date, before rail service began, and applications must be supported by comparable sales data rather than noise or quality-of-life claims.