The City Council on Tuesday voted 7-0, with at-large Councilor Garrick Perry and Quaverly Rothenberg of Ward 3 absent, to approve a resolution opposing expansion of the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School (PVCICS) in Hadley.
The resolution sponsored by at-large Councilor Marissa Elkins, Alex Jarrett of Ward 5 and Deborah Klemer of Ward 2, states that Northampton Public Schools is paying $733,832 during the current fiscal year fro 44 city students who attend PVCICS “and these numbers will likely increase if the requested PVCICS expansion were granted by the state board.”
The charter school has asked the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to approve an expansion of 100 students from its current cap of 584 pupils.
The City Council in 2016 approved a resolution opposing lifting the cap on charter schools in Massachusetts. The City Council in 2018 also approved a resolution opposing an earlier application for expansion by PVCICS.
The latest vote was delayed from Thursday when Councilor Rothenberg lodged a charter objection after criticizing a section of the resolution stating that “funds diverted to charter schools from Northampton Public Schools have played a significant role in an ongoing budget crisis in Northampton, resulting in the elimination of 21 positions in Northampton Public Schools despite an 8.49% increase in funding from the city over FY’24, the largest increase in at least 30 years.”
Under the city charter, such an objection immediately ends debate and postpones a vote to the next council meeting. Councilor Rothenberg did not attend Tuesday’s special meeting and there was no further debate on the resolution.
The full resolution is available here: https://northamptonma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/24237?fileID=198651
Single tax rate
The City Council on Thursday voted 8-0, with Rachel Maiore of Ward 7 absent, to keep a single tax rate, which means that all residential, commercial, industrial, and personal property will be taxed at the rate of $13.93 per $1,000 of assessed value during the fiscal year that began July 1.
That is down 8.3 percent from the rate of $15.19 per $1,000 of assessed value used in the fiscal year that ended June 30.
However, because the assessed value of property has increased, the average tax bill is up by about 3 percent this year. For example, the bill for the owner of a single-family home valued at $536,905 is about $7,479 this year.
Information about exemptions that may reduce property taxes is available here: https://www.northamptonma.gov/1343/Personal-Statutory-Exemptions
City Hall temporary closure
City Hall will close for at least four weeks beginning Monday, Dec. 2, for asbestos removal and insulation work needed to make the building more energy efficient and to prepare for roof repairs.
Departments and staff normally in City Hall will work remotely or in temporary locations during this time. Email is the best way to reach them, and if you need to visit a temporary location, please call or email the office to make an appointment.
Here are the temporary locations:
Mayor’s office/License Commission: Police Station, 29 Center St., [email protected], 413-587-1249
Planning & Sustainability: Senior Center, 67 Conz St., [email protected], 413-587-1266
Office of the auditor: Senior Center, 67 Conz St., [email protected], 413-587-1205
City clerk’s office/registrars of voters: Memorial Hall, Central Services office, 240 Main St., Suite 3, [email protected], 413-587-1224
Office of the assessor: Memorial Hall, Central Services office, 240 Main St., Suite 3, [email protected], 413-587-1203
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Stan