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.