Halifax Board Rejects Commercial Tax Rate Shift

Select Board · Meeting of September 8, 2026

Halifax keeps single tax rate, fills three board seats, and sends its comfort dog off with a retiring officer. The Select Board voted unanimously to reject a shift that would have raised commercial rates to $20.19 per $1,000 while cutting the average residential bill by only about $363, with Principal Assessor Caroline noting the change "would burden the commercial properties by more than a couple thousand" for their tax bill. Members appointed Barbara Nichols to the Council on Aging, Lauren Frame to the Government Study Committee and Steve Goodman to the Conservation Commission, all unanimously.

The board also signed a memorandum of agreement transferring comfort dog Roxy to former Officer Paul Campbell following his resignation, and approved $154,591.79 in ambulance abatements from August. New Town Administrator Darlene Sullivan, about two weeks into the job, told the board she is "grateful to be here" while preparing for the budget cycle.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,591 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of September 8, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.