Overview
- Massachusetts tax officials certified Boston’s FY26 valuations, confirming an average $780, or 13%, increase for single-family homeowners unless relief legislation passes.
- City projections show residential values up 2% and commercial values down 6%, with average Class A office tax bills declining about 4.4% or $210,000.
- Mayor Michelle Wu’s home rule petition to exceed the 175% commercial rate cap for three years has passed the City Council and House multiple times but remains stalled in the Senate.
- State Sen. Nick Collins opposes shifting more taxes to businesses, urging targeted rebates and senior relief and criticizing what he calls withheld data; NAIOP and the Chamber also signal resistance.
- Wu’s office says the increase could drop to roughly $480 with the bill; officials stress property taxes fund roughly three-quarters of the budget and have asked departments to draft FY27 plans 2% lower.