By Kathy McCabe, Globe Staff
Single-family homeowners in Medford will pay an average $155 more in taxes this year, but business property owners will pay $81 less than last year as a result of new tax rates approved last night by the City Council.
Medford councilors voted unanimously, 7-0, to set the new residential tax rate at $12.03 per $1,000 valuation, and the new commercial/industrial rate at $23.72 per $1,000 valuation.
The jump in residential property tax bills, and the drop in the commercial tax bill, reflect a change in property valuations for this year compared to last year, Chief Assessor Ed O’Neil said.
Although unanimous, the vote to set the new tax rates came after a heated 90-minute debate, during which councilors shouted at each other as they stressed the need for tax relief for Medford homeowners.
“For 25 years in a row, taxes have gone up,” said Councilor Robert M. Penta.
Councilor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said the council needed to “give our taxpayers the relief they so desperately need.”
