Chester board sets tax rates, begins look at town services Hears new request to give up Class 4 road

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Last Wednesday, the Chester Select Board finalized the town’s property tax rates by adding the state mandated education tax to the municipal rates it approved on June 17. And it also began the process of looking at town services with an eye to finding savings that might help with the property tax burden.

Chester’s municipal tax, which supports town government but not the education system, increased by about 5 cents per one hundred dollars of assessed value over last year. On a $300,000 house that works out to be an increase of $150.

• Municipal Tax Rate for 2026        $1.0912 per $100 of assessed value
• Local Agreement rate for 2026    $0.0058

Education rates are calculated by the state and reflect the rate for the specific school district and the final residential and non-residential rates after adjustments for differences in assessment accuracy from town to town. Normally the Non-Homestead Education rate is higher than the Homestead rate, but that’s not the case in this year’s state calculation.

• Homestead Education rate               $2.0107 per $100 of assessed value
• Non Homestead Education rate      $1.9339

Combined Education and Municipal Rates

• Homestead                                      $3.11  per $100 of assessed value
• Non Homestead                             $3.03 per $100 of assessed value

The goal of the state is to have relatively equal assessed value across all the towns. Generally, the more recent a town’s last appraisal, the closer the assessed values are to market prices. While the district tax rate is $1.7083 per $100, that gets run through an equalization formula that makes rates higher for those who have not been assessed more recently. The real estate boom that came with Covid exacerbated this. So, while Chester’s Homestead Education tax is $2.0107, Andover – which has been more recently appraised to higher values – is $1.0817. Cavendish, which has gone without an appraisal for longer, gets a Homestead rate of $2,1817 because it has lower assessed values. Chester has contracted for a fresh reappraisal to begin in 2027 and last one to two years.

Chester’s last re-appraisal was completed in early 2020, just before the Covid boom. The previous re-appraisal was in 2008. Act 170 which is mainly known for mandating voluntary school merger talks also sets up regional re-appraisal districts which are set to begin in 2031. Under that law all properties must be re-appraised every six years.

A look at town services

Town Manager Julie Hance has often said that the town budgets reflect the cost of the services the town provides and if taxpayers want lower rates, the town will have to cut services. Last week, the board started the process of looking at the services provided, starting with the Town Clerk’s office and the facilities manager.

Town Clerk Amie Record explained her duties and Hance noted that most of them are state-mandated. Record presented a list of the functions she and Assistant Town Clerk Samantha Vertefeuille carry out, which includes administration of voter registration and elections and keeping land and vital records.

Facilities Manager Steve Vertefeuille said that he maintains seven town buildings, in addition to a variety of other duties outlined in a list he provided. Hance said that having this position has saved the town money by not having to hire contractors. In addition to working as facilities manager, Vertefeuille can respond with the Fire Department or ambulance during his work hours, thus reducing response times.

Reviews of town services at Select Board Wednesday meetings

July 15 – Recreation and Planning/zoning/assessing;
Aug. 5 –  Public Safety (Police/Fire/Ambulance);
Aug. 19 – Highway.

Class 4 road discontinuance request

The board received a request to discontinue a portion of Ingraham Road from Jonah and Emma Mikutowicz of South Dartmouth, Mass., who own a home on the Class 4 portion of that road. Among their reasons for the town to give up the road is safety. They then cited as an example a motorist who got stuck in an area beyond their house and near a ravine. The motorist had to hike out and an excavator, rather than a tow truck, had to be used to retrieve the vehicle.

Select Board chair Lee Gustafson told the Mikutowiczes that the town is currently working on a policy regarding Class 4 roads and is also involved in a lawsuit involving another request for discontinuance on Wymans Falls Road. Consequently, Gustafson said the board acknowledges the receipt of their request but the lawsuit will have to be settled before the board can have a public hearing on the question.

Board member Arne Jonynas interjected that the process is for the board to decide whether or not to have a hearing and that hasn’t happened yet. Under statute, there are a few ways to a discontinuance. A landowner can request a discontinuance from the Select Board or the Select Board can initiate the process on its own. Also, voters and landowners can petition — with at least 5 percent of voters’ signatures — to have the select board discontinue a road.

Kirk MacGinnis, who is suing the town for discontinuance of Wymans Falls Road through his property, asked the Select Board to maintain the status quo while the legal proceedings are going on.

The Mikutowiczes thanked the board for receiving their request.