Board of Assessors

Contact

Gina Papineau
Board of Assessors

42 Main Street
Goshen MA 01032
Tuesdays 8:00am - 2:00pm
Wednesdays 6:30pm [call ahead to ensure Wednesday evening availability]

Mission Statement

The Assessor’s Office is responsible for uniformly and accurately valuing all property both real and personal located within the town.  The valuation dates for the Town of Goshen are January 1st and June 30th.  The values generated by the Assessors are reviewed by the Department of Revenue on annual basis.  Every five years, the Department of Revenue reviews and certifies all assessments within the town.

The Board of Assessors reviews approximately 1/10th of all parcels on a yearly basis.  Assessors must also maintain the values in the years between certification.   This is done so that each property taxpayer in the community pays his or her fair share of the cost of local government—no more or no less—in proportion to the amount of money the property is worth.  Valuation in Massachusetts is based on “full and fair cash value”, the amount a willing buyer would pay a willing seller on the open market.

The Assessor must collect, record, and analyze a great deal of information about property and market characteristics in order to estimate the fair market value of all taxable properties in the community.  The Assessor first inspects each property to record specific features of the land and building(s) that contribute to its value.  Size, type, and quality of construction, number of rooms, baths fireplaces, type of heating system – all are examples of the data listed on individual property record cards before the valuation can begin.  The Assessor does not create value.  Rather, the Assessor has the legal responsibility to discover and reflect the changes that are occurring in the marketplace.

The Assessor’s do not make the laws that affect property owner.  Tax laws are enacted by the Massachusetts Legislature.  Various guidelines and regulations to implement the legislation are established by the Department of Revenue.  The Assessor follows the procedures established by the Department of Revenue to set the values of property.  Value is actually set by buyers and sellers as they establish the worth of comparable properties through their transactions in the real estate marketplace.

Official Assessment Responsibilities

  • Classify and determine “full and fair cash value” of all real and personal property according to Massachusetts General Law (Chapter 59).
  • Review and act upon all real and personal property abatement applications.
  • Process all motor vehicle abatement requests.
  • Review and process all exemption application for qualifying elderly, widowed, blind or disabled veteran citizens.
  • Review all applications for accuracy regarding tax incentives for land used for recreational, forestry or agricultural purposes.
  • According to Department of Revenue mass appraisal standards, implement a revaluation of the Town’s real and personal property, every three years.
  • Lead role in completing the Recapitulation (setting the tax rate).

Official Administrative Responsibilities

  • Maintain property records concerning all structures and residencies including: building area, number of bedrooms and baths, condition and type of heating system.
  • Update the Town's Assessor Maps, which contain information such as parcel numbers, and land area.
  • After committing the yearly assessments and tax amounts to the Tax Collector for billing purposes, the Assessors must generate a copy of the tax commitment and make it available for public inspection.
  • The Assessors must maintain and store all applicable public records including: property record cards, ownership and deed information, betterment records, exemption records, real estate records, personal property and excise records, and property sales.
  • Provide relevant information such as "new growth" to the Department of Revenue, Town Accountant and Board of Selectmen, in order for the tax rate to be set timely.

Questions or Comments

All taxpayers are welcome to call or email this office for assistance and clarification of any question or concerns that they have about their value or data on property cards.  We will gladly provide information and assist you in any way that we can.  Only your state senator or state representative can change laws and regulations pertaining to cities and towns in Commonwealth.  Although sometimes cumbersome to apply, the laws and regulations are in place to provide fair and uniform application of assessments for all.

֎ Board of Assessors Members

NamePosition
Steve Fancy (ASR) Assessor - Term expires June 2025
Gina Papineau (ASR) Assessor - Term expires June 2027
Paula Pedersen (ASR) Assessor - Term expires June 2026
Gina Papineau (ASR) Assistant Assessor
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