Hardwick Select Board Adopts Single Tax Rate, Appoints Committee Member

HARDWICK -- December 5, 2022, Hardwick Select Board unanimously adopted a $13.30 single property tax rate for fiscal year 2023 and spent most of its December 5 meeting mediating a feud between the Board of Health and the Leicester Regional Public Health Coalition. Chair Jeffrey S. Schaaf led the 3-0 tax rate vote, accepting the Board of Assessors' recommendation against a split commercial rate, noting the town sits roughly $18,000 under its Proposition 2 1/2 levy limit. Board of Health member Stan delivered a detailed critique of the coalition, alleging its health director failed to respond to roughly 72 percent of his communications and that the Town Administrator cut the board's budget by 50 percent without consultation; the board took no vote on the contract. The board also approved a $7,910.32 December water warrant, authorized Town Administrator Nicole Parker to sign a letter to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on the proposed Great Meadowbrook Farm horse racing track, and appointed Lisa Condit to the Master Plan Community Development Advisory Committee through June 30, 2023. Schaaf read a public conflict-of-interest disclosure into the record concerning her role at the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce, which recently admitted the horse racing applicant as a member ahead of a January 7, 2023, special town election on the project.