Amherst council approves community support grant spending

Amherst town council approves community support grant spending

Amherst town council approved spending $482,110 on community support grants during a special council session on May 21.

Of that fund, $372,110, will be raised via a residential, resource and commercial community support area rate of 7.1 cents per $100 of assessment.

The money raised by the area rate will be used to fund the community support grants issued by council during the 2019-2020 fiscal year, including those given to organizations and granted to groups via the “A” Fresh Start Initiative. It will also be used to cover a $100,000 grant to the YMCA, fund the tax exemption and tax reduction policies was well as the “A” Festival, holiday events, Canada Day, the winter carnival and other events such as Music in Victoria Square and the Tree for Boston.

The remaining $110,000 - $60,000 from reserves and $50,000 from the deed transfer tax - will fund the well-respected Youth Free Ice Time Project and efforts by the town to deal with poverty.

Tax Reduction Policy amendment

Council approved an amendment to its Tax Reduction Policy that ensures homeowners meeting the low-income threshold who are in arrears who have paid their tax payment arrangement for at least 12 consecutive months qualify for the $450 tax reduction.