Select Board Keeps Single Tax Rate for FY27

Select Board · Meeting of October 19, 2026

East Bridgewater Select Board kept a single property tax rate for fiscal 2027 and signed a public safety building study contract. Assessor Paula Wolf said the town's commercial base is just 12 percent of valuation, far under the 25 percent threshold used to justify splitting rates, warning "commercial takes too much of a blow to save a small amount on residential." The average single-family tax bill, previously $7,418.94, is projected to rise about $250. The board unanimously signed a feasibility-study contract with KBA for a new public safety building and appointed Kerry Twohig interim treasurer-collector.

Town Administrator Charlie told the board East Bridgewater is ineligible for a $250,000 to $300,000 state PFAS grant and close to $400,000 in school grants because the town has not adopted the MBTA Communities zoning bylaw, calling the loss to students unfair since "it is not their decision to be made." A fiber-internet provider, i3 Broadband, pitched a two- to three-year buildout under the T-Fiber brand at roughly $55 to $65 a month per household.

In the full story:

• Tax Classification Hearing
• i3 Broadband / T-Fiber Presentation
• Routine Appointments
• DPW Union Contract
• Police Department Retirements and Assessment Center
• Livery Service License Policy
• Precision Engineering and Eastern States Steel Site Reuse
• Public Safety Building Feasibility Study
• Home Rule Petition H.5582
• Melanie Dean Appointment
• Announcements and Staff Reports
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,467 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of October 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.