Chicopee City Council unanimously sets FY2026 tax rate at $15.24 residential, $32.62 commercial

CHICOPEE -- November 6, 2025, Chicopee City Council sets FY2026 residential tax rate at $15.24, denies all four exemptions at special meeting. The council voted unanimously November 6 to adopt a residential factor of 0.8179, the maximum allowable shift under state law, producing a commercial rate of $32.62 per thousand, continuing the city's decades-long practice of sheltering homeowners from the full levy. City Assessor Laura presented a FY2026 levy of $116 million, up $8 million from the prior year, offset in part by $3 million in free cash the council approved in June. Mayor John Vieau's written communication blocked the residential and commercial exemptions, stating neither "is relevant to conditions in Chicopee." Councilor Goff challenged the premise of the maximum commercial shift, noting Springfield ($35.22) and Holyoke ($38.55) carry higher commercial rates yet are "thriving" with new development; the assessor replied the comparison is "apples and oranges" given differing city finances. Jason Reed, chair of the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, urged the council in public comment to fill the city's economic development director vacancy, posted since December 2024 and still unfilled.