Easton Tax Override vs. Debt Exclusions: What It Means for Homeowners - No Spin Edition
By Community Contributor Robert Corradini of Everything Easton Blue
Easton officials are proposing an operational override to address a budget shortfall, and residents are already paying for two major debt exclusion projects (the Blanche Ames school and new public safety facilities). Many are asking: How will this affect my tax bill? Here’s a neutral, fact-based breakdown using Easton’s median home value of $660,000 as an example.
Types of Property Tax Increases Explained
Operational Override (Proposition 2½ Override): A permanent increase in the town’s tax levy limit for general operating expenses (e.g. schools, police, DPW). This allows the town to raise more revenue than the usual 2.5% annual cap set by Prop 2½ . Once approved, it adds to the tax base forever (unless overridden by future cuts) to fund day-to-day services. Easton’s last operational override was in 2006 .
Debt Exclusion: A temporary property tax increase to pay for a specific capital project (like a building). It’s outside the Prop 2½ cap and only lasts for the life of the debt on that project . Once the project’s bonds are paid off, this extra tax comes off the bills . By law, money from a debt exclusion cannot be used for anything else – only the intended project . Easton voters approved two big debt exclusions in recent years: the Blanche A. Ames Elementary School in 2019, and new Police/Fire/Public Works facilities in 2023 .
CPA Surcharge (Community Preservation Act tax): This is an additional 3% surcharge on Easton property tax bills (adopted by voters in 2001) dedicated to funding open space, historic preservation, and affordable housing projects . Note: The first $100,000 of a home’s value is exempt from the CPA tax, and certain low-income or senior households can be exempt . The CPA surcharge is separate from overrides – it’s an ongoing extra charge that the state partially matches each year .
Estimated Annual Impact on a $660K Home
If the proposed override passes, a median-valued $660,000 home in Easton would pay roughly the following additional amounts per year (on top of the regular base tax bill):
Proposed Operating Override: ≈ $800 more per year for a $660K home . (This is the approximate tax increase currently under consideration for FY2026. It permanently raises the levy for town and school operations.)
Blanche Ames Elementary Debt Exclusion: ≈ $285 per year . (This project was approved by voters in 2019 to build the new Blanche A. Ames Elementary School. The actual tax cost came in lower than expected – originally forecast around $433 for the median home, but now about $285/year due to the project coming in $13 million under budget.)
Police, Fire & DPW Facilities Debt Exclusion: ≈ $628 per year . (Approved by voters in 2023, this funds the new combined Police/Fire stations and DPW facility. Current estimates suggest about $628/year for a median home once all borrowing is in place, which is also lower than initial projections of ~$719/year thanks to favorable bids coming in about $9M under budget.)
Total Additional Tax for Median Home: ≈ $1,713 per year when adding together the override + both debt exclusion projects. In other words, if the override is approved, that median $660K homeowner would pay about $1,700 more annually than if none of these overrides/exclusions existed. (Roughly ~$800 from the override and ~$900 from the two projects combined).
Each of these figures is based on the latest available data and median home value. Individual tax bills will vary with your property’s assessed value. For context, town officials note that the two building projects alone (Blanche Ames and the public safety/DPW facilities) were initially forecast to add about $1,152/year to the median tax bill, but with cost savings the combined impact is now estimated around $913/year . This is still a significant increase, but it will drop off once the projects’ debts are paid in full (by around FY2040 for the school and FY2052-54 for the safety/DPW facilities) .
Plain Facts to Remember
Overrides vs. Debt Exclusions: An operating override increases taxes for general budget needs permanently , while a debt exclusion is a temporary hike for a specific project’s debt . Easton’s override (if passed) would be a permanent addition to fund town services, whereas the Blanche Ames and Public Safety project taxes will be removed once those bonds are repaid.
Current Tax Burden: Easton homeowners are already contributing to the two recent building projects (~$900/year combined on a median home) . The proposed override would be an additional ~$800/year on that same home . It’s important to consider all pieces of the tax bill: the base levy (which grows ~2.5% each year by state law), any override amounts, debt exclusions for capital projects, and the CPA surcharge.
Use of Funds: Override dollars go into the general fund to maintain town and school services (e.g. preventing cuts to staff and programs) . Debt exclusion dollars are restricted to paying construction bonds for the school and municipal buildings . CPA funds can only be used for open space, historic preservation, recreation, and affordable housing projects – not for operating budgets.
Bottom line: If the FY2026 operational override is approved, a typical Easton homeowner (~$660K home) will see an estimated $800 increase in their yearly property taxes . They will also continue to pay roughly $285/yr for the new elementary school and $628/yr for the new public safety/DPW facilities , until those projects’ debts are paid off. All together, that’s about $1,700 per year in voter-approved tax additions for the median home. These figures are derived from town reports and projections and are meant to inform residents of the tax impact in a straightforward way – no spin, just the facts.
Residents can find more detailed information in the Town of Easton’s override FAQ and budget documents, and at upcoming public meetings, to make an informed decision. Always refer to official sources for the latest numbers and explanations.
Sources: Town of Easton, MA PASE Committee reports and meeting slides , Easton Assessor’s FAQ , and local news coverage (NBC 10 I-Team) for verification of the tax impact figures. All data are current as of April 2025.
