Canton electors approve four-year revaluation phase-in

Residents vote at Town Meeting.

By John Fitts

At a sometimes contentious town meeting on April 18, Canton electors voted 94-62 to phase-in the new revaluation over four years. The revaluation and phase-in add complexity to the 2024-25 budget process, particularly with tax implications.

Due to a sharp rise in real estate, particularly residential, more of the tax burden is shifted to homeowners. The phase-in takes that revaluation increase and phases it in over for years, or 25 percent per year. This results in savings for many - but not all - homeowners, officials said. However, that is offset to some degree by motor vehicle taxes. In addition to hearing from residents, Canton officials shared some updated explanations and numbers at the meeting, which are available below.

Currently, the proposed fiscal year 2024-25 budget is $49,526,294, a 5.94 percent increase in spending over the 2023-24 approved budget of $46,7474,934. 

Next up in the budget process:

• The budget Public Hearing will take place on Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 6 p.m. (NEW DATE!) at the Canton Community Center, Room F. 

• The Budget referendum

At the May 7 referendum, electors can vote yes or no on a final budget plan, which could, potentially, be adjusted the evening of April 23.  The referendum takes place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7 in the Canton Community Center.

 The town’s charter states that a turnout of less than 10 percent results in automatic passage of the budget. Voters have never met that threshold since the charter was changed to require an automatic budget referendum beginning in 2020 (Due to the pandemic the change was implemented in 2021). 

See the April 18 presentation in the images below or at https://www.townofcantonct.org/filestorage/19342/19345/19375/Canton_Reval_TM_4-18-24.pdf