BOS shifts res tax rate down

The Norwood Board of Selectmen met with members of the Norwood Board of Assessors at its regular meeting this past Tuesday, and voted for a 71 percent commercial and 29 percent residential tax split for the upcoming fiscal year 2026.

This was just two percent below the maximum shift increase of 73 percent, and would represent a decrease of $19 on the average residential tax bill of a home with an average value of $719,477, or -.3 percent. For commercial taxpayers, this means an average increase of $1,491 (2.4 percent) on an average commercial property, the value of which is $2.844 mil.

The tax rate is based on the highest possible levy the Town can collect, which is calculated by the State Department of Revenue and based on past tax rates and the fact that Proposition 2.5 only allows municipalities to raise rates by 2.5 percent every year, barring an operational override, and the calculated increases in property values.

Norwood Town Assessor Tim McDonough said these are, relatively speaking, pretty low increases compared with surrounding municipalities. He also said that Norwood’s maximum allowed levy for this past year was not reached, and that Norwood left about $2.09 million on the table for taxpayers. He said this was because the Town’s estimates for new growth were more conservative than they turned out to be.

“The original projection for new growth was much lower, so the difference between the actual and the projection was where the unused levy comes into play,” he said. “Because of this new growth, we’re able to spread this wealth across more.”

The Board felt the 71 percent shift gives both residential rates a bit of a breather this coming year and doesn’t overly burden commercial tax payers, which, Board members pointed out, are paying a much higher rate and keeping Norwood’s residential taxes lower than its neighbors. McDonough showed a graph of last year’s average tax bills illustrating Norwood’s taxes fall towards the lower end of the pool, mirroring Braintree (which, McDonough pointed out, also has a municipal light company) at $7,084. The lowest of comparable communities was Weymouth at $5,957 and the highest was Newton at $16,314. Needham and Westwood were right behind at $15,523 and $15,412 respectively.

Selectman Bob Donnelly reminded the Board that just because they didn’t set the rates for the maximum allowable levy this year, that doesn’t mean that money isn’t obtainable by the Town in later years, if, for some reason, for instance, a $7 million structural deficit in the budget should become a bigger problem than it already is.

“Even though we are not setting the tax rate to the maximum allowable levy, that does not mean that the excess capacity goes away forever; that remains an opportunity for us to use in future years,” he said.

“Absolutely, that would be your starting point for next year,” McDonough agreed.

Vice Chair Bill Plasko said he felt the Town’s hard work to entice and keep commercial businesses in Town has paid off for residential taxpayers.

The Board voted unanimously for the 71 percent.

In other news, the Board approved a transfer of a liquor license from the Old Colonial Cafe Inc. to Gemma Kitchen & Bar, as well as an application for a common victual license and the transfer of the lease of the building from the OCC to Gemma’s.

Proposed Manager Guiseppe Tropeano, also the former head chef of Lewis’ Bar and Grille, came by with Lewis’ Michelle Jewel and attorney Stephen Delamere.

Delamere touted Tropeano’s experience at Lewis’, along with Jewel’s, and the plan is for the restaurant to be situated on the first floor with the second floor to be a function space. Tropeano said they plan to make some improvements to the site, but nothing major.

“We have no idea of the timeframe, but it’s mostly all cosmetic,” he said. “We’ll have mostly all new furniture, flooring, bathrooms, stuff like that. We’ll get some of our own equipment in the kitchen, but most of everything in that kitchen is useful.

The Board voted unanimously to accept the transfers on all counts, and wished the pair luck.

“Good luck, it’s a big endeavor, you do a great job there and I’m sure you’ll do a great job here,” said Selectman Michael Saad.

“It is a sort of a passing-of-the-torch-type of thing, and we just wish you much success,” said Selectman Matt Lane. “It’s great you guys are embedded in the community, you know the community and its character and you know the patrons. I’m sure your plan to make the restaurant yours is informed by all of that. So it’s really exciting.”

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Donnelly pointed out the elephant in the room, in that the Town owns the building and would be Tropeano and Jewel’s landlord.

“We want to see success in that building, because we own it,” he said with a laugh. “But it’s bittersweet in some ways I think; all of us have a longtime love for the OCC and all Mr. (Paul) Angelo has done for the community and for the downtown all these years past, I don’t know how many years. It’s really good to see that building continue to offer what it offers to this Town.”

At the end of the meeting, the Board gave their best wishes to OCC former owner Paul Angelo. Plasko mentioned that, when they were planning this send off for Angelo, he had bet with Town Manager Tony Mazzucco that Angelo would not come.

“Tonight I won the bet with Mr. Mazzucco,” Plasko said with a slight chuckle.

They gave him their well wishes anyway.

“His support of youth groups, his support of almost every fundraiser in Town and individuals in need he’s helped over the years, he’s just been an outstanding corporate citizen and we wish him well in his new retirement,” Plasko said.

“Here here,” Mazzucco said.

“Well said,” said Lane.