Brookline Select Board Approves Higher Property Taxes For 2021

BROOKLINE, MA — If you own a home in Brookline, property taxes will be going up again overall for 2021.

Under the new rates, the median single family homeowner will pay $1,428 more than last year, while the median commercial property owner will pay $853 more.

On Tuesday, the Brookline Select Board approved a residential property tax rate of $9.80 for $1,000 of assessed value and a commercial tax rate of $15.99 for $1,000 of assessed value, both up slightly from last year (see below).

While the residential exemption is the same as last year (21 percent of the average value of all residential property), most property owners will see an increase because of rising property values, which are based on 2019 data right now, according to Rachid Belhocine, the town's acting chief assessor.

The median single family home for 2021 is valued at $1,824,450 up 5.9 percent from 2020 and the median value of a condo is $750,100, up 1.1 percent.

The property tax bills for the median Brookline single family home will be around $14,916. The median property tax bills for a condo owner (and there are more condo owners in town than single family homes right now) will be $4,386.

What Does It Mean?

The tax levy — the tax amount that everybody pays— was set at $255,719,011, up 9.7 percent from last year. It is divided between residential and commercial property tax. The number is set based on a 2 1/2 increase from the previous year, growth and any debt exclusion overrides the town approves.

"We are not raising any more taxes than we could otherwise do under proposition 2 1/2" Mel Kleckner, the town administrator, said at the Brookline Select Board meeting this week.

In previous years, the commercial property owners pay a larger share, as happened last year. This year, with an eye to businesses dealing with pandemic-related financial loss, their share came down some.

Town Offers Help With Property Tax Bills

In recognition of this, the town has supported a number of tax relief programs in an effort to help ease the burden on those who need it most.

Each year the town sets a residential exemption, so those who live in their homes are eligible to deduct a couple hundred thousand dollars off their net worth as a way to promote owner occupancy.

If you own a home in Brookline and live here, you are eligible for this residential exemption value is $302,590 that amount is subtracted from your assessed value and the net is what you pay tax on. Last year's was $292,060.

Last year 144 people took advantage of Brookline's seven tax relief programs, including 59 veterans, according to the assessor's office.

In 2018 the town won the Home Rule petition so that seniors on a fixed income of $86,000 or less qualify to defer to pay property tax until they sell their home or pass away.

There's also a senior tax work-off program, which was approved by Town Meeting.

If you're 60 years old and you're on a fixed income, own a home here and pay taxes on it you can work for the town for 125 hours and get $1,500 off taxes. Volunteers have worked in the library, parks, the school and in the assessors' office. Last year there were 32 people who took advantage of this.

The only hitch to finding tax relief in town is that you have to apply to these potential tax reliefs.

Residential and Commercial tax rates in previous years:

• In 2018: $9.46 and $15.72
• In 2019: $9.37 and $15.37
• In 2020: $9.45 and $15.53
• In 2021: $9.80 and: $15.99

Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).