Mattapoisett and Somerset tax limits rise for fiscal 2027 as the state certifies new growth
Mattapoisett has taxed within $150,000 of its ceiling for three years, while Somerset taxed $19.2 million under its own last year. Last year's average single-family bills were $8,244 and $6,278.
SOUTH COAST The state has certified fiscal 2027 new growth for Mattapoisett and Somerset, the first step toward next year's property tax rates in both towns. In Mattapoisett, $51.7 million in new construction and improvements adds $528,910 to the town's property tax limit, which rises 4.3% to about $30.4 million before debt that voters excluded. In Somerset, $27.4 million in new value adds $450,600, and the limit rises 3.1% to about $73.7 million. State records show no fiscal 2027 tax rate yet in either town.
What new growth is
New growth is the value of property that is new or newly improved, such as a house built or an addition, and state law adds the tax on it at last year's rates. New growth by itself does not raise the bill on property that did not change. Under Proposition 2 1/2, a town's levy limit grows each year by 2.5% of the prior year's limit plus new growth. Debt and capital spending that voters excluded from the limit are added on top.
Mattapoisett, close to its ceiling
State figures put Mattapoisett's fiscal 2027 new growth at $51,651,347 in value, up from $46,964,949 last year, and the tax it adds at $528,910, up from $505,344. Homes made up $38.9 million of the new value and $398,290 of the added tax, about 75%. With the 2.5% increase of $728,896, the limit rises from $29,155,841 to $30,413,647, by our math from the state's formula.
Mattapoisett has taxed close to its maximum for years. Last year it raised $30,190,324, which was $47,509 under the most it could levy without an override, after coming in $92,011 under in fiscal 2025 and $147,195 under in fiscal 2024. Debt that voters excluded from the limit added $1,081,992 to last year's maximum.
The town taxes every class of property at one rate, $10.24 per $1,000 of value last year. The average single-family home was valued at $805,060 and its tax bill was $8,244, up $232 from $8,012 the year before and up $835 from $7,409 in fiscal 2023, state figures show.
Somerset, with room under its limit
Somerset's new growth fell this year. The state certified $27,384,630 in new value, down from $32,267,469, and $450,600 in added tax, down from $687,038. Homes went the other way: residential new growth rose to $19.5 million in value and $252,706 in tax, from $12.6 million and $168,136, so homes made up 56% of the added tax after 24% last year. With the 2.5% increase of $1,786,490, the limit rises from $71,459,592 to $73,696,682.
Somerset taxes far below its limit, so a higher limit does not by itself change what the town collects. It raised $55,363,766 last year, $19,182,526 under its maximum levy of $74,546,292, which includes $3,086,700 in excluded debt. That gap was $20,361,847 in fiscal 2023, while the levy grew about 25% over the same three years, from $44,399,889.
Somerset taxes homes and businesses at different rates. Last year homes paid $12.93 per $1,000 and commercial, industrial and personal property paid $25.24, both lower than in fiscal 2025. The average single-family home was valued at $485,506 and its bill was $6,278, up $244 from $6,034 and up $1,312 from $4,966 in fiscal 2023.
Around the South Coast
Fall River, Taunton and Rochester also have fiscal 2027 new growth on the state's books. Fall River's limit and Taunton's rose with their certifications, and Rochester has already set its fiscal 2027 rate at $10.62. Last year, the average single-family bill rose in all 19 South Coast communities.
What happens next
Before the state approves a tax rate, the selectmen must hold a public hearing on how the levy is shared among homes, businesses and other property, and the assessors must lay out the fiscal effect of each option, state law says. That applies in Mattapoisett, which has used a single rate for every class since at least fiscal 2023, as well as in Somerset. In Mattapoisett the hearing is before the Select Board, and in Somerset before the Board of Selectmen.
How to weigh in
The classification hearing is a public hearing, held before the board votes on how the levy is shared. Both towns post their boards' meeting agendas in online Agenda Centers. Somerset's Board of Selectmen held its Oct. 28 meeting in the Cucinotta Community Room at the Somerset Public Library, 1464 County St. Questions about a single property's value go to each town's assessors.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
Every figure comes from the state Division of Local Services reports on new growth, excess levy capacity, tax rates by class and average single-family bills, all current as of Oct. 29. The Somerset meeting place comes from the Board of Selectmen's Oct. 28 agenda, the Mattapoisett boards from the town's Agenda Center, and the hearing and levy rules from state law. We read them on Oct. 29 and recomputed both levy limits, the yearly changes and the shares. We checked each date against a calendar.
Corrections
No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.
Sources (8)
- Massachusetts Division of Local Services: New Growth (South Coast communities, fiscal 2023 to 2027)Data current as of Oct. 29, 2026. Read Oct. 29, 2026.
- Massachusetts Division of Local Services: Excess Levy Capacity and Override Capacity (Mattapoisett and Somerset, fiscal 2023 to 2027)Data current as of Oct. 29, 2026. Read Oct. 29, 2026.
- Massachusetts Division of Local Services: Tax Rates by Class (Mattapoisett and Somerset, fiscal 2023 to 2027)Data current as of Oct. 29, 2026. Read Oct. 29, 2026.
- Massachusetts Division of Local Services: Average Single Family Tax Bill (Mattapoisett and Somerset)Data current as of Oct. 29, 2026. Read Oct. 29, 2026.
- Town of Somerset: Board of Selectmen meeting notice and agenda, Oct. 28, 2026Posted Oct. 26, 2026. Read Oct. 29, 2026.
- Town of Mattapoisett: Agenda Center (Select Board and Board of Assessors agendas)Read Oct. 29, 2026.
- Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 40, section 56 (classification hearing)Read Oct. 29, 2026.
- Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 59, section 21C (Proposition 2 1/2 levy limit and new growth)Read Oct. 29, 2026.