School Projects Could Raise Average Andover Tax Bill By 5.66%

ANDOVER, MA -- The average Andover residential property tax bill of $9,965 could jump by as much as $668, or 5.66% under the most expensive capital improvement project for Andover Public Schools. The projects include $45 million to replace the West Elementary School and projects ranging in $7 million to $185 million to make improvements or replace Andover High School. The expenditures, along with the increased tax bills, could begin as early as the 2021 fiscal year but would require voter and Town Meeting approval.

At the Tri-Board tax summit earlier this week, officials laid out the different tax scenarios from the projects as they would apply to the average residential property tax bill. The West school project would increase that bill by $212 in the first year, with the cost declining to $108 in the final year of the 30-year amortization schedule.

There are nine potential projects for Andover High School, the most expensive of which would cost $142 million. That project would add $456 to the average tax bill and $229 in year 30. That would amount to a 5.66% tax increase in the first year of the AHS project, which is projected for the 2023 Fiscal Year -- two years after the West Elementary School project would start.

The projections presented at the summit rely on revenue projections that include annual property tax increases of 2.5% -- the most allowed under Massachusetts law without voter approval. Andover has exceeded that 2.5% increase in all but two of the past 10 years, with the average annual tax increase at 3.4% in that time frame. They projections also assume a five-year average of $2.3 million from new growth and increases in state aid and local tax receipts.

The complete presentation is available on the town's Website.

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Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).