Board Demotes Rejected Tax Exemption
Select Board · Meeting of August 4, 2026
Great Barrington Select Board strips residential tax exemption of top-priority status after town meeting rejection. Meeting with only three of five members present, Chair Phil, Garfield and Bill voted unanimously to move the exemption from a "core priority" to a lower "support priority," with Bill arguing the failed petition still didn't "warrant us to drop the topic from the list." Town staff member Steve told the board Great Barrington has no housing production plan, saying "we're just kind of winging it," while Town Manager Liz, seven months into her tenure, touted a new certificate program with the Massachusetts Municipal Association and Suffolk University. During public comment, Finance Committee Chair Madonna said residents "want action, they want less talk," pressing the board on the stalled Housatonic River PCB cleanup and school budget costs.
The board also agreed to open earlier conversations with the school district and Berkshire Health Group this fall.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 4,282 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of August 4, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Keep reading with a 30-day free trial
Subscribe to Great Barrington News to keep reading this post and get 30 days of free access to the full post archives.
Starting a trial requires a payment method. After 30 free days your subscription begins at the price shown at checkout and renews automatically until you cancel. You can cancel anytime from your account. Subscription terms
A subscription gets you:
- Subscriber-only posts and full archive
- Post comments and join the community
- 24x7 access to local news