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Editor’s Note: Earlier this summer, we sent our intern Xiyue Eric Han out to meet public officials in Winchester and ask them what they do when it comes to town government. Here’s what he found out.
Ever wonder why your tax bill says what it says and why it’s climbed yet again this year?
Part of the answer is three elected residents who meet weekly at Town Hall and whose names most residents don’t know. These three don’t set the tax rate, rather they set the number the rate is applied to, which is the part that decides whether your share is fair.
That group is the Board of Assessors, whose work is quiet, yet nonetheless crucial.
What is the structure?
The group contains three members, elected to staggered three-year terms like most other elected positions in town. The annual races are rarely crowded, with one seat opening up in the upcoming election cycle.
Section 3-4 of the charter hands them one job: value every property in Winchester, every year.
The assessors aren’t appraisers. The technical work runs through the department’s three professional staff. Their job takes place quietly behind the scenes, but their knowledge and experience are essential for the assessment process.
“We make our decisions collectively, informed by the expertise, information, and advice provided by our strong professional staff,” says Chair George R. Nowell Jr.
What the board decides alone
Every property is valued at fair cash value. Then there are abatements, the fancy way of telling the town that it got your house wrong, and the exemptions state law allows for seniors, veterans and blind residents.
“These decisions do not require approval by another Winchester board or Town Meeting,” the chair said.
The Board of Assessors in its nature is not an advisory board.
An appeal does not run through Town Hall either, rather a denial goes to the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board. When within the assessors’ statutory authority under state law, they get the final call.
The board also certifies the value of new construction and growth. Proposition 2½ allows the tax levy to rise 2.5% annually plus new growth. That is the highest the ceiling can grow without a ballot question. Winchester expects $750,000, down from $1.3 million.
The overlay, and why it shows up in the budget
Each year, the assessors build a reserve into the levy to cover the costs of abatements they expect to grant later. That pot is called the overlay. If the members believe there is extra money in the pot that won’t be used, they can vote to release it.
That is exactly what happened in February 2026, when they released $450,000 for spring Town Meeting, which then appropriated the additional funds.
Winchester has now released additional funds three years running: $960,000 in 2024, $400,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $450,000 for fiscal year 2027.
What the board does not control
The Board of Assessors does not independently determine the town’s property-tax rate.
Town Meeting decides what the town spends, while voters decide whether the budget ceiling moves up. That is what the March 21, 2026 override vote was about.
The Select Board decides each November whether homes and businesses pay the same rate. The Board of Assessors runs the arithmetic and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue certifies those numbers.
“We can explain how those issues affect property taxation, but the decisions themselves belong to the appropriate town office or board,” Nowell elaborated.
Some residents do contact the group about matters such as tax collection, town spending, budgets, zoning and building, all of which fall under other Winchester boards and committees.
Nowell makes it clear that although they explain how those issues may affect property taxation, the decisions themselves belong to the appropriate group in town.
Why the number matters
The median Winchester home is assessed around $1.38 million. At this year’s residential rate of $11.08 per $1,000, that is around $15,300 a year.
The town has a lot riding on this income. Property taxes covered about 73% of last year’s budget and 95% of that came from houses.
A common misconception
A higher assessment doesn’t automatically equate to a higher bill.
For example, if every property in Winchester doubled in value tomorrow, the tax rate would roughly halve and the town would still collect the same amount of money.
What does raise your bill is if your property’s value is rising faster than the town’s average, since what you owe is your share of a levy that was already set by the town.
An abatement is worth filing depending on the case. If your taxes went up, but everyone else’s didn’t, that isn’t much of an argument. However, if your house rose by 10% but the rest of the block went up only by 5%, then that is something the board is built to hear.
How to tune in
The Board of Assessors meets weekly at Town Hall, with agendas posted 48 hours ahead of the scheduled time. The Assessors Office can be reached at 781-721-7111.
Xiyue Eric Han is a student at Winchester High School. He has been an intern with Winchester News since summer 2025.
