Framingham Sets 2021 Property Tax Rates

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham City Council on Thursday set the estimated tax rates for 2021, electing again to lower residential rates by shifting a part of the tax burden onto commercial and personal property taxpayers.

The 2021 residential tax rate will be $14.05 per $1,000 of assessed value, down from $14.96 in 2020. That means the owner of a home assessed at the average value in Framingham — about $467,000 — would pay $6,594. The industrial, commercial and personal property rates will be $30.09 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Like other larger communities in Massachusetts, Framingham has the option of shifting the burden of property taxes away from residential owners and toward industrial and commercial properties.

District 8 Councilor John Stefanini moved to reduce the shift for commercial and industrial properties this year, citing the difficult economy, and Framingham's relatively high commercial tax rates compared to nearby towns like Natick and Marlborough.

But that would mean a higher rate for residential owners: $14.09 per $1,000 of assessed value rather than $14.05 — about a $20 increase for the average homeowner.

"I don't know if this is the right year to be adding to the burden of our residential families and giving a bigger break to our businesses," District 2 Councilor Cesar Stewart-Morales said.

Council Chair George King Jr. highlighted that setting the tax rate isn't the right time to think about taxpayers — the right time is when the Council is putting together the budget in June. That's because the Council sets the tax rate to pay for the budget, and a lower budget means the city doesn't have to raise as much from property taxes.

"We could've given a bigger break had we been more sharp with the knife on the budget," King said.

But the total levy is also falling slighting in 2021. The city is raising $195.5 million this year compared to $196.1 in fiscal 2020.

Stefanini withdrew his motion, and the Council unanimously adopted a levy shift at the $14.05 per $1,000 of assessed value rate.

But homeowners likely won't see their tax bills drop just because the rate is lower.

Property values in Framingham are rising: up about 7.7 percent between fiscal year 2020 and 2021, Chief Assessor William Naser told the Council on Thursday. The city uses data from recent home sales to determine a home's relative value, and homes have been selling at or above asking price steadily, Naser said.

The state Department of Revenue still has to certify Framingham's 2021 tax rates.