Deerfield Sets $13.45 Tax Rate, Approves $1M Sewer Billing Commitment

DEERFIELD -- December 10, 2025, Deerfield Selectboard sets FY2026 property tax rate at $13.45 per thousand and approves a $1.08 million sewer billing commitment. The board, sitting jointly as the Board of Health and Sewer Commissioners, voted 3-0 on all items at its December 10 meeting, with members Blake Gilmore, Tim Hilchey, and Trevor McDaniel in favor of each measure. Assessors Skip Sobieski and Chuck Shattuck recommended the uniform single rate, noting that the average Deerfield home is now valued at $467,000 and will carry an average tax bill of $6,283, roughly a 6.5 percent increase year over year and a 22 percent rise since 2022. The board also approved $96,987.39 in automatic sewer abatements for homeowners whose summer water use exceeded 125 percent of their prior winter consumption, up from $70,000 last year, as overall sewer consumption fell to 35.7 million gallons from a 2023 peak of 45 million gallons.