New tax rates set: On average, homeowners will pay $218.15 more, businesses $3,380.48 more, under plan approved by selectmen for FY2024

By Mark E. Vogler

The owner of an average single-family home in Saugus valued at $617,905 will pay $6,581 in taxes next year – $218.15 more than this year. Meanwhile, the tax bill for an average commercial property, valued at $2,172,585, will be $47,905 – an increase of $3,380.48 over this year. Those scenarios will take effect as a result of the new tax rates for the 2024 fiscal year approved unanimously on Wednesday (Nov. 29) night by the Board of Selectmen, pending approval by the state Department of Revenue (DOR). A tax rate analysis presented by the Saugus Board of Assessors showed a 3.43 percent increase in the average homeowner’s tax bill, while commercial and industrial property owners can expect an average increase of 7.59 percent.

Once again, selectmen followed their past practice of recent years by adopting a plan calculating the lowest possible residential factor – a plan that would tax commercial, industrial and personal (CIP) property at a maximum share of the tax levy for the 2024 fiscal year at 175 percent. Selectmen voted to set the tax rates for the 2024 Fiscal Year that begins next July 1 at $10.65 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for residential and $22.05 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for commercial. The current tax rates are $11.26 for residential and $23.34 for commercial. By again adopting a plan that would shift the tax burden from the residential class by 175 percent to the commercial, industrial and personal property classes, selectmen lowered the average tax bill by $1,200, according to Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeffrey Cicolini.

The town experienced more than $89 million in new growth for the 2024 fiscal year, adding $1.6 million to the total levy. New growth is the increase in the tax base due to new construction, parcel subdivisions, condominium conversions and property renovations, but not due to revaluation.

Deputy Assessor Iwona Wilt said that the multimillion UPS building at 150 Salem Turnpike contributed to much of the commercial growth over the past year. Two apartment buildings on Route 1 at 728 Broadway and 860 Rear Broadway were major factors for the new growth on the residential side, according to Wilt. Four utilities (Boston Gas Company, Mass Electric, New England Power Company and North Star Electric) accounted for much of the growth in personal property, she said.

Wilt and Saugus Board of Assessors Chair David Ricciardelli briefed selectmen at the 20-minute tax classification hearing on Wednesday night. Here are some of the highlights from that hearing:

• The average valuation of a single-family home in Saugus has increased by $52,848, from $565,057 (fiscal 2023) to $617,905 (fiscal 2024).
• The average valuation for commercial property has increased by $264,915, from $1,907,670 (fiscal 2023) to $2,172,585 (fiscal 2024).
• There was a decrease in tax rates. Overall, residential tax rates in Saugus decreased from $11.26 for $1,000 of assessed valuation to $10.65 – a 61-cent drop. Meanwhile, CIP tax rates dipped from $23.34 for $1,000 of assessed valuation to $22.05 – a $1.29 decrease.
• The projected new growth has increased over last year for residential, commercial, industrial and personal property classes, from $1,515,638 (fiscal 2023) to $1,605,184 (fiscal 2024) – an increase of $89,546.
• Residential properties account for 82.9 percent of the town’s total valuation of $6.9 billion.
• While CIP taxpayers account for about 17.1 percent of the tax valuation in town, they contribute about 30 percent in tax revenue.

If Saugus homeowners want to learn why their taxes increased, they can go online. Taxpayers who think they are being over-assessed on their property can find out how their property compares to neighboring properties and they can seek an abatement. Tax bills are due to be mailed out by the end of this month.

Sizing up Saugus’ tax bill

Here’s how the Fiscal Year 2023 average residential tax bill for Saugus compares with other area communities:

Community    Average home value Average single family tax bill

Saugus                                   $565,057                                                         $6,363

Lynn                                        $477,670                                                         $5,326

Lynnfield                                 $899,564                                                         $10,165

Malden                                    $367,297                                                         $4,477

Melrose                                   $733,465                                                         $7,643

Revere                                     $520,830                                                         $4,953

Wakefield                                  $698,570                                                         $8,194

   (Editor’s Note: Information compiled by the Saugus Board of Assessors.)

Sizing up Saugus’ tax rates

Here’s how the residential tax rate in Saugus for the Fiscal Year 2023 compares with residential tax rates of other area communities:

• Saugus                     $11.26
• Lynn                         $11.15
• Lynnfield                  $11.30
• Malden                    $12.19
• Melrose                   $10.42
• Revere                     $9.51
• Wakefield                $11.73.

The report also noted how the CIP tax rate for Saugus compared to Fiscal Year 2023 CIP rates of other area communities:

• Saugus $23.34
• Lynn $21.35
• Lynnfield $18,15
• Malden $18.68
• Melrose $18,12
• Revere $18.98
• Wakefield $22.46

Class                          Value (Fiscal 2024)

Residential                  $5.8 billion

Commercial                $840.8 million

Industrial                    $181.8 million

Personal                     $164.5 million

Total                           $5.7 billion

New Growth* Comparison in Saugus

Fiscal Year                               New Growth

2024                                        $1,605,184

2023                                        $1,515,638

2022                                        $846,712

2021                                        $1,146,652

2020                                        $1,439,524

2019                                        $862,574

2018                                        $792,016

2017                                        $744,103

2016                                        $477,878

2015                                        $1,585,111

  (Editor’s Note: Information compiled by the Saugus Board of Assessors.)

  *New growth is the increase in the tax base due to new construction, parcel subdivision, condominium conversions and property renovations but not due to revaluation. It is calculated by multiplying the increased assessed valuation by the prior year’s tax rate for the appropriate class of property.