THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, DECEmbER 8, 2023 Page 11 ~ Excellence in the EPS ~ From the Arts Department Famous Puppeteer Dazzles Kindergartners R enowned puppeteer Leigh Baltzer performed for more than 70 kindergartners at the Whittier School on Thursday, November 16, 2023. She performed imaginative and engaging renditions of “Owl Babies,” “Little Blue Truck” and “Caps For Sale,” all featuring a variety of puppets and other visuals. Afterwards she answered questions about the stories and her puppets. She also ave every student coloring pages with images of her puppets to take home. TAX RATES | FROM PAGE 1 similarities to Everett, does. The rural bedroom town Wenham doesn’t. Tax rates will be $11.46 per $1,000 of value for residential and $24 for C/I/P for Fiscal 2024. Under a single rate it would be $31.71 across the board. They also approved a 25% Residential Exemption and appropriating $10 million of Free Cash to reduce the Fiscal 2024 tax burden. Exclusions from the exemption are vacant land and residential properties not occupied as a primary residence by the owner. “Property valued at less than $1.462 million is seeing some sort of benefi t,” Deveraux said. “An overwhelming majority of people are benefi ting.” The Residential Exemption moved from 20% to 25% in 2019. “I’m a big supporter of the exemption,” Ward 1 Councilor Wayne Matewsky said in discussion. “It gives relief to homeowners who actually live here.” Without those measures, the residential tax rates would have risen $92 for condominiums, $165 for single-family homes, $223 for two-family homes and $154 for three-family homes. “The Mayor felt this was in the best interest of residents and the best use of more Free Cash than we have in the past given the infl ationary pressure everyone is feeling,” Deveraux said, in reference to use of $7 million in previous years. Chief Financial Offi cer Eric Demas shared concerns raised by Councilor-at-Large Stephanie Smith as to whether using $10 million was susTAX RATES | SEE PAGE 19 YOUR LOCAL NEWS & SPORTS IN SIX LANGUAGES. SUBSCRIBE TO THE ADVOCATE ONLINE BY SCANNING HERE!
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