Plymouth Select Board Maintains Unified Tax Rate as Residential Property Values Surge to $16.5 Billion
PLYMOUTH - November 18 - The Plymouth Select Board unanimously voted Tuesday night to maintain a unified tax rate of $12.55 per thousand dollars of valuation for fiscal year 2026, rejecting calls to shift more of the tax burden to commercial properties despite residential property values climbing 6% to reach $16.5 billion—an increase of nearly $1 billion in a single year.
The Full Story
Director of Assessing Michael Hourahan presented a comprehensive tax classification hearing that revealed the staggering growth in Plymouth’s residential property values. In just the past five years, residential property values have increased by $6 billion—an amount equal to what took 399 years to accumulate previously. The average single-family home value rose from $586,103 in fiscal 2025 to $615,944 in fiscal 2026, while the median home value increased from $531,400 to $554,300.
“During this time period, this is the single family residential class, we have added 687 dwellings, or roughly 137 dwellings per year,” Hourahan explained to the board, noting that Plymouth’s total property valuation now stands at over $19.1 billion.
Under the unified tax rate approved by the board, the average single-family homeowner will see their tax bill increase by $293 from $7,437.65 to $7,730.72. The median homeowner will experience a $213 increase. Hourahan emphasized that most Plymouth properties are valued below the average, making the median a more accurate representation of what typical homeowners will pay.
The board considered but rejected several alternative approaches, including implementing a split tax rate that would have shifted more burden to commercial properties, a residential exemption that would have benefited owner-occupied homes, and a small commercial exemption for businesses under $1 million in value with fewer than 10 employees.
Hourahan strongly recommended against these alternatives, citing Plymouth’s demographics. “Plymouth has 27,697 parcels in the residential class,” he told the board. “We’re 86% residential, 8% commercial, 3% industrial, and 3% personal property.” The town has only 724 commercial parcels, and that number has actually decreased by 20 since fiscal 2022, largely because some commercial properties have been converted to residential use, including apartment buildings and 55-and-over communities.
Select Board member Kevin Canty expressed support for the unified rate despite acknowledging affordability concerns. “Making it harder to open a business or keep a business open by having a split tax rate is counterproductive to that part of the affordability equation and the quality of life equation,” Canty said. He noted that many Plymouth residents already commute outside town for work because local businesses cannot compete for talent with higher-paying employers elsewhere.
“I understand that at certain points, certain individuals would like to see a shift to more commercial properties paying more. But we only have 8% commercial, 11% if you add the industrial on there. It’s small and we’d like to attract more economic development. And if we shifted the tax burden onto commercial, it would only make it harder to open a business or stay in business here,” Canty continued.
Hourahan demonstrated what a 24% tax shift—enough to maintain fiscal 2025 tax bills for residential properties—would mean for commercial properties. While it would decrease the average residential bill by $296, it would increase the average commercial tax bill by $5,598. For the median commercial property, valued at $651,200, the increase would be over $2,200. “That’s a pretty big increase for very small businesses,” Horan noted.
Select Board member Deborah Iaquinto supported the unified approach while acknowledging future needs. “I hope someday we’re in a position where we can implement a commercial split tax rate and to make the balance a little bit more equitable,” she said. “But the other part of it was, this is really a story about the need for economic development. I think that those numbers really say, we’ve got to start moving now.”
Select Board member Bill Keohan raised concerns about certain types of commercial development. “There are certain commercial activities in the town of Plymouth that have been dominant, such as highway commercial, big box stores. They place a great deal of burden on the town of Plymouth in terms of the cost of services,” Keohan said, pointing to traffic problems on Long Pond Road. He advocated for zoning changes to de-incentivize such development while promoting small businesses and light industrial uses.
Chairman David Golden, participating remotely due to illness, supported the unified rate as well. “I had actually been the one who asked to explore a small business exemption. We ran the numbers with Mike earlier this year. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense at this point. We don’t have a significant enough commercial tax base to justify it,” Golden said.
The board also learned that Plymouth’s fiscal 2026 excess tax levy capacity—the amount by which the town is taxing below its legal maximum—will be $1,939,026.32.
Earlier in the evening, the board held a public hearing to approve a new annual all-alcohol restaurant license for the Cambria Hotel at 26 Plaza Way. General Manager Samantha Thompson explained the 107-room hotel includes an on-site restaurant and bar on the first floor, with two outdoor spaces and one meeting room. The license was unanimously approved with no opposition.
The board honored Dale M. Webber with the 2025 Edward W. Santos Community Service Award. Michael Gallerani, presenting the award, praised Webber’s 45 years of service to Plymouth, including his work on various town boards and committees and his leadership of the town employee union COBRA. Webber has volunteered on numerous community projects, including the recently completed Edward W. Santos Community Garden at the Plymouth Public Library.
“I really enjoy helping people. A thank you goes a long way with me, so therefore tonight is way, way over the top,” Webber said in his acceptance speech, visibly emotional. He credited his union members and other volunteers who have built soccer fields, T-hangers at Plymouth Airport, the first skate park, and multiple school playgrounds over the years.
Vice Chairman Richard Quintal praised Webber’s responsiveness to community needs. “Whenever I picked up the phone to call Mr. Webber on behalf of the employees groups, he’s come to the rescue, whether it be at Christmastime to deliver Christmas gifts to as far away as New Bedford sometime. He was there the next morning,” Quintal said.
The board also conducted the annual lottery for the Senior and Veterans Property Tax Work-Off Program. The town received 115 applications this year, up significantly from 70 the previous year. Through a transparent public lottery drawing, 10 veterans and 20 seniors aged 60 and older were selected to participate. Each participant can work off up to $1,500 in property taxes by providing services to various town departments. An additional 10 alternates were selected.
Town Manager Derek Brindisi explained that the program matches participants’ backgrounds and experience with departmental needs. “Typically, like say our licensing agent, Lisa Johnson, every year she seeks an individual to assist her with some of the processing and licensing applications,” Brindisi said. The program is funded by $45,000 appropriated at town meeting.
Director of Energy and Environment David Gould and Climate Resiliency and Sustainability Planner Michael Cahill provided an update on climate action initiatives. The department, which operates on just 0.3% of the town budget, has brought in approximately $96 million in grants and other funding since 2001, averaging about $4 million annually over the last 15 years.
Cahill outlined 22 active projects aligned with Plymouth’s Climate Action Adaptation Plan, completed in 2021 after 1.5 years of work with over 50 community members. Projects include energy conservation measures that have saved $25,192 annually and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 91 metric tons; the hiring of a full-time energy advocate through MassSave funding; expansion of the electric vehicle fleet to 10 vehicles; and the Downtown Resiliency Project, which aims to redesign 3,000 linear feet of the downtown area to mitigate heat island effects and improve stormwater management.
The Downtown Resiliency Project, however, faces funding uncertainty. Plymouth applied for construction funding through the Massachusetts MVP (Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness) program but was unsuccessful. The town will reapply in the spring. Phase 1 design, covering corridor improvements, Depot Square, and Shirley Square, is complete. Phase 2 design, covering Town Square, Courthouse Green, and the Main Street Extension parking lot, still needs funding, which will be requested at a spring town meeting.
Canty pressed Gould and Cahill about prioritization and alternative funding sources given the changing federal funding landscape. “I think climate change is only going to get worse in the coming years, and it is going to be much cheaper to invest in measures to mitigate and respond to it now, ahead of things, than it will be after the fact,” Canty said. He requested the department return in January with a detailed list of prioritized projects.
The department presented several potential funding sources beyond grants, including: redirecting 100% of the Environmental Affairs Fund (currently split 50/50 with the general fund) to environmental projects; creating a dedicated account for energy conservation savings; establishing public-private partnerships with local corporations for environmental social governance funding; and supporting state legislation to create a Massachusetts Climate Bank to attract private investment.
Since its creation in fall 2018, the Environmental Affairs Fund, funded by solar and wind pilot payments, has generated approximately $2.7 million, with $1.3 million going to environmental affairs projects and $1.3 million to the general fund. Gould noted that the environmental affairs portion has leveraged $14 million in grants—a return of about $10.77 for every dollar invested.
Keohan strongly supported increasing funding for the department. “For every dollar we put into this, we get another dollar coming in from the match that you’re making. So the pie chart here is a huge payback to the town of Plymouth,” Keohan said. “These issues that we’re addressing throughout the town are pretty intense. And if we don’t get a handle on them now, we’re going to be paying a higher tax rate because of the cost of services down the road if we neglect this responsibility.”
During public comment, resident Katherine Harrelson invited town officials to attend an informal information session on November 20 about new state solar siting regulations taking effect in March 2026. The regulations will require a single permitting process involving the Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and other relevant boards.
Resident Meagan Ash expressed concern about a recent ICE enforcement action in Plymouth where agents removed someone from a vehicle in front of a school bus. “I’ve seen videos and read that these agents are often stationed temporarily in towns they are working in. They don’t live here. They don’t care about keeping us safe,” Ash said. She called on the board to discuss rules that would prevent certain enforcement activities in certain areas and to uphold the town’s recent City of Peace declaration.
Dale Bryan, chair of the Climate Action Net Zero Committee, urged the board to address the need for a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). “Put simply, Plymouth’s probable future will experience more of each. Potentially for decades to come. To which we are currently inadequately prepared to respond and to recover,” Bryan said, referencing increasing climate-related disasters. Bryan noted that establishing a CERT was the first of 81 priorities the board identified for fiscal year 2026 under the goal of ensuring a safe and healthy community.
Brindisi reported several town updates, including: progress on the community health assessment, which has received 700 responses to its survey; Thanksgiving assistance efforts by multiple departments, including 75 turkeys being distributed by the Council on Aging, 100 meals through Veterans Services and the VFW, and 50 family dinners through a police department fundraiser for Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless; completion of the Water Street construction abutters meeting; near completion of the Route 80 sidewalk project; and installation this week of an archway over the Main Street Extension stairs leading to Brewster Gardens.
Brindisi also announced that See Plymouth received a $200,000 grant from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism for visitor center renovations, and that foundation work has begun at Memorial Hall to address water intrusion as part of a $700,000 restoration project. The annual tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for December 5, and will include lighting of the Congregation Beth Jacob’s menorah.
Regarding the long-standing issue of the unsafe Bert’s building, Brindisi reported that while the property owner had made initial progress—erecting a fence, disconnecting utilities, and working with the Board of Health on septic abandonment—they discovered asbestos requiring abatement about four weeks ago. Commissioner of Buildings believes the town is now at the point of taking legal action.
Attorney Rich Serkey, a town meeting member from Precinct 2, offered to serve as pro bono special town counsel for the limited purpose of filing a complaint in Plymouth Superior Court seeking a court order requiring the property owners to commence demolition by December 31, 2025, and file weekly status reports until completion. “I’m making this offer for three reasons. One, to free up your time and their time to attend to other equally pressing matters, thereby assuring that this matter will be addressed in a timely manner. Two, to save the town legal fees, which, as I said, I will waive any claim for for the work that I’m proposing to do. And three, to spare you from having to listen to me during public comment about this matter, which alone should persuade you to accept my offer,” Serkey said.
The board could not act on Serkey’s offer as it was not an agenda item, but Keohan requested that staff provide guidance on how such an arrangement could work under proper oversight by town counsel. Brindisi confirmed that town counsel believes the next step should be legal action against the property owner.
Treasurer-Collector Patricia Meachen secured board approval for closing documents on an interim loan from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust for Title V septic system work. The borrowing had been previously approved by the Select Board on August 27, 2024, and authorized by Annual Town Meeting Article 15 on October 19, 2024.
The board also approved various routine licenses, including one-day alcohol permits, amplified music permits, common victualer licenses, early Sunday sales permits, automatic amusement licenses, auto dealer licenses, and Eversource utility petitions. The board separately approved two revocations—the annual malt-only farmer series pouring permit of Sour Not Sorry and the annual all-alcohol restaurant license of the New World Tavern—as both businesses ceased operations at their locations. The board also accepted the surrender of licenses from Mayflower Brewing, LLC for their farmer brewery pouring permits at two locations.
Stephen Cole of the Plymouth Waterfront and Downtown Business District Foundation received board approval for a Small Business Saturday proclamation for November 29. Cole announced that the foundation is investing $500,000 in a small business façade program for the downtown and waterfront area, covering up to 50% of façade projects up to $50,000. “The foundation board wants to invest in those small businesses who have invested in Plymouth,” Cole said. Phase two will expand the program to North Plymouth, with Manomet and South Plymouth in years two and three.
Cole emphasized the importance of small businesses to Plymouth’s economy, noting that 53% of small businesses in town have fewer than four employees, 19% have between five and nine employees, and only 3% have between 50 and 99 employees. “So it’s not just the backbone of our economy. It’s the nerve center. It’s the muscle and the sinew and the flesh. We really are a small business community,” Cole said.
Quintal acknowledged the foundation’s work while suggesting improved coordination. “When I say that things need looking at or improving, it’s not directed at you specifically. There’s a link missing, I believe, between the town and the foundation and the planning department and the planning board and the zoning board of appeals,” Quintal said. He proposed establishing monthly meetings to go after desired businesses and potentially offer incentives like tax increment financing or discounts on sewer hookups.
Executive Director Olly deMacedo provided an update on America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration. The 30th annual event will take place Saturday, with ABC broadcasting live for the third consecutive year under a recently renewed three-year contract. The celebration will include Friday night activities at Memorial Hall and the Phil concert, Saturday’s parade, waterfront activities, a new holiday village at Brewster Garden, and Sunday’s Harvest Market.
Park Plymouth will operate off-site parking at Exit 18 and at the courthouse and high school, with shuttle service every 15 minutes throughout the day. Last year the program removed 1,600 cars from the downtown area. “Thanksgiving, which is a national holiday, started right here. And we ought to embrace it. We ought to own it. And we ought to brag about it. And we ought to tell the story as many times as we can,” deMacedo said.
Canty and Iacquinto reported that residents have expressed interest in establishing a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in Plymouth. They met with the fire chief and director of emergency management to discuss initial steps. “There is significant community interest in pursuing that, and the department seems to be interested in getting the ball rolling as well,” Canty said, noting it would be addressed through the budgetary priority process.
The board also conducted routine business, including approval of administrative notes and discussion of upcoming initiatives. Keohan thanked board members for participating in a Habitat for Humanity volunteer event and proposed another volunteer activity in January with the Task Force to End Homelessness at their emergency overnight shelter.
Why It Matters
The decision to maintain a unified tax rate preserves Plymouth’s business-friendly environment at a time when residential property values are surging and affordability concerns are mounting. While homeowners will see tax bills rise by several hundred dollars on average, the alternative—shifting the burden to the small commercial sector—could have hampered economic development efforts in a town where 86% of property value is residential. The data presented shows Plymouth at a critical juncture: residential growth is far outpacing commercial development, and the rapid appreciation of home values over the past five years raises serious questions about long-term affordability and sustainability. The board’s emphasis on attracting more diverse commercial development suggests future discussions about zoning, incentives, and economic strategy will be crucial to balancing the town’s tax base and maintaining quality of life for residents.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Enter Executive Session for Northern Construction Services, LLC and Romboldi Family, LLC/Viscarello Hospitality Group pursuant to MGL Ch. 30A, Section 21A, Clause 3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 23:38)
Motion: Approve new annual all-alcohol restaurant license for Geary Freeport Incorporation d/b/a Cambria Hotel Plymouth, 26 Plaza Way, Samantha Thompson, Manager. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 2:26:28)
Motion: Approve one-day alcohol licenses, one-day wine and malt licenses, amplified music permits, common victualer licenses, early Sunday sales permits, automatic amusement licenses, auto dealer licenses, and Eversource utility petitions. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 2:27:40)
Motion: Accept revocation of annual malt-only farmer series pouring permit of Sour Not Sorry and annual all-alcohol restaurant license of New World Tavern. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 2:28:34)
Motion: Accept surrender of Mayflower Brewing, LLC farmer brewery pouring permits for 12 Resnik Road and Village Green North locations. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 2:29:13)
Motion: Approve Administrative Notes as a group. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 3:18:13)
Motion: Approve Massachusetts Clean Water Trust Loan closing documents for Title V interim loan. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 3:30:50)
Motion: Adopt unified tax rate of $12.55 per thousand and not adopt any additional exemptions (residential exemption, small commercial exemption, or open space discount). Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 4:24:07)
Motion: Approve proclamation of November 29, 2025 as Small Business Saturday. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 2:41:23)
Motion: Adjourn meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 5:35:03)
Public Comment
Katherine Harrelson of Community Land and Water Coalition invited town officials to attend an informal information session on November 20 at SEMBA from 6-8 PM regarding new state solar siting regulations taking effect March 2026. Meagan Ash of 1610 State Road expressed concerns about an ICE enforcement action near a school bus and called for rules to protect the community and uphold the City of Peace declaration. Dale Bryan, chair of the Climate Action Net Zero Committee, urged the board to fund a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to prepare for climate-related emergencies, noting this was identified as the first priority in the board’s fiscal year 26 goals. Rich Serkey, Town Meeting Member Precinct 2, offered to serve as pro bono special town counsel to file a complaint against the Bert’s building property owners to compel demolition.
What’s Next
The Select Board will meet again on November 25, 2025. The board requested that the Energy and Environment Department return in January with a detailed prioritized list of climate action projects for future funding consideration. The board will consider how to structure potential legal action against the Bert’s building property owners, including whether to accept Attorney Serkey’s pro bono offer, pending guidance from town counsel. A public hearing on e-bike regulations is scheduled for the November 25 meeting. The Downtown Resiliency Project will be submitted for MVP grant funding in spring 2026, with potential town meeting article for Phase 2 design funding. The Hedge School and Cold Spring School consolidation project will be presented to the MSBA board on December 12 for Phase 2 eligibility. The annual tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for December 5. Board members will participate in a volunteer activity with the Task Force to End Homelessness in January. America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration takes place November 22-23, 2025.
Full meeting available via Comcast Channel 9 or Verizon Channel 47.