Chicopee postpones setting tax rates

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - The Chicopee City Council Wednesday night decided to postpone setting  property tax classifications for the coming fiscal year.  Classification is the final step before setting the tax rate for residential, commercial and industrial property owners.

Businesspeople complained the city is leaning too heavily on them.

"What they're looking at now with the levy increase is saving an average resident  two dollars, where the average commercial will get a $1600 increase," said Chicopee commercial real estate owner Corey Briere.

Chicopee resident and business owner Sandra Averill suggested the City council could treat its businesspeople more fairly.

"Try and take some of the burden off the business.  And if they can, help out some of the residents too, but the businesses are leaving Chicopee because of some of the burdens that are placed on them," Averill told 22News.

The Chicopee City Council decided against making any decisions Wednesday, except to gather more information, and invite the public in for another, better-publicized meeting to be held at an as-yet unspecified future date.