Happy New Year.........now for those tax bills!

Your tax bill may have arrived with a surprise, that should not have been a surprise at all, if you follow this blog or the news in some other way. This was a reval year in Templeton and home values rose a bit in Templeton, which is a good thing. Now how can your tax bill go up when the tax rate goes down you may ask? Well if the value of your home goes up enough, your tax bill will rise regardless of the tax rate and it is legal and not in conflict with prop 2 1/2. While a certain blogger may think it is a violation of the law, it is not and he is wrong and I urge you to contact the Board of Assessors and get your questions or concerns answered.

If you took the time to attend any of the many meetings on the new school, you would have heard exactly what has happened. That is if you build a new school, they will come and your home values will rise and your tax bill will follow. If you read the warrant for the special town meeting held in November of 2015, you would have seen the shifting responsibility of the Templeton selectmen to the school committee, a legal separate entity, which is made up of Templeton and Phillipston residents. So don't fret so much on the location or size of the school, but take a good look at the warrant for town meeting and see exactly what you voted for!

Jeff Bennett