Wayland To Set 2021 Tax Rate With Increase For Homeowners

WAYLAND, MA — The Wayland Board of Selectmen will meet Monday night to hold a public hearing on the 2021 tax rate, which is set to rise compared to the 2020 rate.

The town is proposing a rate of $18.52 per $1,000 of assessed value, which would mean an increase of $604 for the owner of an average-priced home in town — about $800,000. The 2020 tax rate was set at $17.76 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The average bill will be about $14,818, the highest in about a decade. The average residential tax bill in Wayland has risen every year since 2016 when it was $11,730, according to the assessor.

However, residential tax bills could've been even higher this year. According to the assessor's office, the value of an average home in Wayland actually fell this year by 0.025 percent. That's the first year-over-year decrease since 2013.

Wayland will also consider whether to split the tax rate so that commercial and industrial properties pay slightly more, allowing the residential rate to drop slightly. However, Wayland typically does not split the tax rate since more than 95 percent of tax revenue comes from residential property taxes.

The tax classification public hearing begins Monday at 7 p.m. Residents can watch on WayCAM and participate via Zoom. The Selectmen will likely vote to set the rate following the public hearing.