Pepperell Select Board Sets Single FY2026 Tax Rate, Appoints School Committee Member

PEPPERELL — November 5, 2025 — Pepperell Select Board votes unanimously to hold a single FY2026 tax rate at a factor of 1.0, rejecting a rate split that could have saved average homeowners $195 while adding more than $4,000 to an average business tax bill. Assistant Assessor Jonathan Bloom presented fiscal year 2026 data showing the average single-family home assessed at $549,000, up from $515,054, with an estimated tax rate of $13.78 per thousand, down from $14.63. Bloom told the board that most of Pepperell's businesses are "single people, single couples, young individuals operating out of their homes and garages" for whom a commercial rate shift would be harmful. In a joint session before the regular meeting, the boards appointed software engineer Mike Labassiere over vocational counselor Francine Yancho to a vacant North Middlesex Regional School District School Committee seat, with four audible aye votes for Labassiere. Town Administrator Andrew Dionne used his report to challenge statements made at a recent special town meeting, pushing back on claims that he had worked for the town for 10 years and earned 10 times teacher salaries — "Tonight's my seventh anniversary," he said — and calling for better moderation of public comment to prevent misinformation from shaping future budget debates.