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Firm bolsters cit y tax base
By JOHN RILEY
Staff'Writer
{ The city's assessor, ,roan
NORTHAMPTON — The assessors
had a feeling there was a gap in C. Sarafin, has
Northampton's tax rolls. Only 600 busi- conservatively estimated
nesses were paying personal property
taxes. $60,000 in additional tax
Now, a consultant has found the rest revenues this year.
as many as 700 more businesses
when the final count is taken, whose
inventories will add millions of dollars "Our concern is that everybody be
' in assessed value to the city's tax base taxed and taxed fairly," said Robert
and possibly more than $100,000 in such Buscher, an assistant assessor.
=' taxes this year. In the 1994 fiscal year, $32,279,078 in
"We found a substantial number of assessed property was taxed as person-
new businesses," said Lee Townsend, a al property. The majority of that comes
consultant with Real Estate Research from several large utilities with opera-
Consultants of Danvers, the firm hired tions in the cTy, such as Tenneco and
to survey local businesses as part of a the Bay State Gas Co., Sarafin said.
citywide property revaluation. Sarafin said she realized that there
"I feel safe in saying double," Town- were more businesses than her ac-
send said. counts showed, but few of them had
While taxing personal property is not taken out a business certificate from
as lucrative as real property, it's a the city clerk, one of the documents
category that nonetheless entitles the that helps Sarafin spot new businesses.
city to money. Another source is building permits,
The city's assessor, Joan C. Sarafin, though many businesses don't need
has conservatively estimated $60,000 in them to open.
U01 Dos Jo 313E additional tax revenues this year, but But the consultant tapped several
admits the number may well top sources for possible leads, including a
$100,000. list of businesses culled from city
la aql
"I'll be excited to see the total," said telephone numbers. The company will
ST T llsa agl ji uaAa a a Sarafin, who expects to have the results be paid $34 for each business it
c from the consultant in about a week surveyed,or up to $43,200, in this case.
aaquxnu auoqd pus ssa. While raising additional revenue was Armed with a list of 1,300 possible
aagaludslp s smolls uial; a prime reason to hire an outside firm, businesses' Townsend and two asso-
s a question of equity was also consid-
agl of lslluassa ats g: ered. ■ See TAXES/Page 4
laaals Jo xaaga naip
llassng pus uol8uqunH
oml Jo amps) gllm
Upua3v
State audit reveals
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equipment lveawa
vAILY HAMPSHIREGAZETTE 1Ut6l)AY,4U4JIr1 to 1
Taxes
■ Continued from Page 1 Some at-homes businesses 247 new businesses in town
were found by Townsend just by liable for the tax, bringing the
nes
ciates spent several months visit- driving around. "You see a few total Number of such accounts to
ing companies, some of them different cars in the driveway, 460. She's uncertain how much
surprised by the effort to con- you stop and knock on the door." in additional tax dollars will be
duct the inventory. Sarafin hired Townsend's com- raised. But in a town which last
sting an area "They weren't happy about it, pany after the state Department year scrounged around to find
or 600 fami- but were responsive enough to of Revenue suggested that com- $2,000 to keep streetlights on
Van Gorder, be helpful," Townsend said. munities better scrutinize per- "we're certainly going to bring in
for for the By state law, businesses are sonal property collections. more than $2,000P
County Red obliged to pay a personal proper- Sarafin said those collections In Amherst, David Burgess,
'of Cali- ty tax on their assets. Still, that were considered by assessors as the town's principal assessor,
pus law can be confusing as to what less important than real estate said that his staff added 250 �'Q
hnic Insti- exactly is owed — and to whom. tax collections, which provide businesses to the tax rolls over a
Obispo was Businesses are organized in a cities with most of their revenue. two-year period.
number of different ways. Propri- Long overlooked was the abili- Between fiscal year 1992 and
e fire was etorships, estates and corpora- ty to tax personal property. That 1994, and doing the job them- c
oday after- tions are just a few examples, was so, Sarafin said, because of selves, Amherst assessors added
a near the and each can be taxed different- understaffing and an uncertainty $3 million in assessed personal
round. The ly. Some are taxed on their about which companies were property value and $51,000 in
of the Los personal property by the state, obliged to pay personal property taxes.
?St• others by their community, — and on what. "It's a tax that's not very well
ain north- Townsend said. "We just didn't have the time understood," Burgess said.
losed be- He knows the distinctions. and we weren't sure how to find Several businesses in Nor-
iispo and "Take a psychotherapist. If they them," she said. thampton complained to Sarafin
of about use a chair or a couch in Easthampton took the revenue about the city's effort — and
way 41, a delivering their service, the department's suggestion and also several weren't willing to let
ite, also couch is taxable," Townsend hired the consultant this spring. Townsend in.
said. As a result, said Ann Daly, an But after some explaining,
ver lines, Computers used for designing assistant to the town's Board of Townsend said he was able to
custom- a product are taxable by the city, Assessors, the number of busi- survey about 97 percent of the
y said a while those used for administra- ness paying personal property city's businesses.
ific Gas tion purposes are not. taxes there will more than dou- Once Sarafin gets those final
1 televi- "A lot of this job is asking ble this year. figures; estimated tax bills will
eked off questions," Townsend said. Daly said the consultant found be mailed Oct. 1.
b., fire-
fully
second-
Tests show Simpson has no cancer
ildfires
i up to LOS ANGELES (AP) — O.J. Prosecutors and the defense questions before the group de-
fect to Simpson's swollen lymph nodes were to submit jury question- cides on a final version, which
com- and drenching night sweats do naires today for review by Supe- will be sealed to prevent poten-
Thurs- not mean that he has cancer. rior Court Judge Lance Ito. The tial jurors from learning what
Simpson was relieved to learn judge may add some of his own they might be asked.
that a biopsy performed last
week showed his lymph nodes
are abnormally large, but non-
IA cancerous, Simpson lawyer Rob-
C ert Shapiro said Monday.
Simpson's physician, Dr. Rob-
ert Huizenga, said in a statement
ted at that Simpson had a "proliferation
+Ig was of lymphocytes," the white blood The HCC
AA Big cells that fight infections. He
to said doctors would. continue to
irhil o search for the cause of the
swelling.
m The next step is blood testing,
is of said Dr. John Glaspy, director of
rence
eas the Bowyer Oncology Center at
000E the Unversity of California, Los x�
Angeles. s
ffe
Swollen lymph nodes in the
armpit, neck or groin can indi-
'" Cate viral or bacterial infections, g Y
of or more serious diseases such as x
an AIDS, cancer or Hodgkin's dis- '
ut ease. Tests ruled out AIDS or
d other infectious causes in Simp-
son's case.
Simpson, 47, has pleaded inno- s
of cent to murdering his ex-wife
e `Nicole Brown Simnson and hPr `
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rr)
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all C6) ft
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Zoning
Miscellaneous Additions,Repairs,Alterations,etc. Tel.No. Alterations
NORTHAMPTON, MASS. —19— Additions
APPLICATION FOR PERMIT TO ALTER Repair
a I
Garage
- I
�j r�q e I`
Jl I- �
1. Location >")
Lot No.
2. Owner's name Address
iLL
3. Builder's name -tits C
Mass.Construction Supervisor's License No. Ex piration Date
4. Addition uk 6
5. Alteration
6. New Porch
7. Is existing building to be demolished?
8. Repair after the fire
9. Garage No.of cars Size
10. Method of heating
11. Distance to lot lines
12. Type of roof
13. Siding house
14. Estimated COSL-
The undersigned certifies that the above statements are we to the best of his, her
knowledge and belief.
-bl
Signature of responst e app can
Remarks
10. Do any signs exist on the property? YES NO.
IF YES,describe size,type and location:
Are there any proposed changes to or additionsof signs intended for thdPfterty?YES NO
IF YES,describe size,type and location:
11, ALL INFORMATION MUST BE COMPLETED, or, PM M17JKM BE DENIED DUE TO
LACK OF INFORMATION.
TMs ccl— w be fil]_A za
by the a ildizg AepareM mmt
Required 1
Existing Proposect4w By Zoning
Lot size
Frontage
Setbacks -
- side L: R: L: R•
- rear
Building height
Bldg Square footage
%Open Space:
(Lot area minus bldg
&paved parking}
# of Parking Spaces
#' of Loading Docks
Fill:
{vol-time--& location)
i
'13 . Certification: I hereby certify!;; at, eatfonr contained herein
is true and accurate to the hsst of my :knosiri6iige.
Yt /`� Cl,�� APPLICANT's SIGNATURE'
NOTE: issuanoe of a zoning permit does not rquevo.,anfap rden to.00mp A�11
zoning requiraments and obtain all required permits trw of,.Heaith, Cona�ei-rbtion
Commission, Department of Publio Works and other-app tj verma granting auithov4Q
FILE #
fi�:
:. I
8 1998
File No.
.DEPT OF gUd
PE=T APPLICATION (§10 . 2
PLEASE TYP—E— OR PRINT ALL INFORMATION
1. Name of Applicanh� �I�'� Co
Address: `i' Telephone: Co
ry
2. Owner of roperty: 1 �)
Address: 15 Y CiSC U -t w -br— Telephone: 9S 9 S
3. Status of Applicant: Own Contract Purchaser Lessee
Other(explain): Co A--,,-U C C,
c l
�' (` K�r1G ��Y-�f Y1i 1 ✓I��h {�
4. Job Location: C�
Parcel Id: Zoning Map# �- Parcel# District(s):
(TO BE FILLED IN BY THE BUILDING DEPARTMENTf
5. Existing Use of Structure/Property
6. Description of Proposed Use/Work/Project/Occupation: (Use additional sheets if necessary):
7. Attached Plans: Sketch Plan Site Plan Engineered/Surveyed Plans
Answers to the following 2 questions may be obtained by checking with the Building Dept or Planning Department Files.
8. Has a Special Permit/Variance/Finding ever been issued for/on the site?
NO DON'T KNOW / YES IF YES,date issued:
IF YES: Was the permit recorded at the Registry of Deeds?
NO DON'T KNOW / YES
IF YES: enter Book Page and/or Document#
9. Does the site contain a brook, body of water or wetlands? NO DON'T KNOW YES
IF YES,has a permit been or need to be obtained from the Conservation Commission?
Needs to be obtained Obtained ,date issued:
(FORM CONTINUES ON OTHER SIDE)
i
i
10 Department: Reference No: BP-1999-0213
...................................
Building,Electrical &Mechanical Permits
Fee Type: Receipt No:
replacement windows REC-1999-000411
Paid By: Paid in Full 0 n
Larry Jubb Wed Aug 19,1998
.........................................................................................
......................................
Received By: Check No:
Linda Lapointe 2976
.........................................................................................
........................•.............
DEPARTMENT'S COPY Amount: $20.00
...........................
DEPARTMENT FILE COPY 2BELANGERPL
CITY OF NORTHAMPTON
BUILDING PERMIT
Owner's pulling their own permits or dealing with unregistered contractors for applicable work do
not have access to Guaranty Fund(MGL 142A)
Issued: Permit No: Inspector: Tracking No.: Fee:
19 Aug, 1998 BP-1999-0213 $20.00
GIS #: Map Block: Lot: Address: Zoning: Use Group: Lot Size:
10239 32C 209 001 2BELANGERPL URC 6708.24
Contractor: License Type: Insurance:
Larry Jubb HIC Workers Compensation
Address: License No.: Insurance No.:
P 0 Box 429 10001 246Y5352UB
City; State: Zip Code: Phone:
GREENFIELD MA 01302
Proiect No: Category of Work: Const. Class: Cost Estimate:
JS-1999-0350 windows replaced $11,880.00
Description of Work:
INSTALL REPLACEMENT WINDOWS
GeoTMSO 1997 Des Lauriem&Associates,Inc. Signature: