CHICOPEE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Property tax bills are going up again, and in some western Mass. cities, homeowners will pay hundreds more in 2026.

So we wanted to know, are you going to be affected?

Western Mass News is getting those answers.

From Chicopee to Holyoke, many residents are concerned about their rates going up again.

“We do whatever we can to keep the rate for the residential homeowner as low as possible,” noted Victor Anop of the Chicopee Board of Assessors.

While the year 2025 is wrapping up, frustration is mounting in multiple western Mass. cities about the rise in property taxes.

And Chicopee is no different.

In fiscal year 2025 the residential tax rate increased from $15.15 per $1,000 to $15.24 per $1,000 for fiscal year 2026, representing a $0.09 increase.

One resident reporting on a Facebook forum that his average tax increase amounted to $275, so Western Mass News reached out to the Chicopee Board of Assessors for answers.

Anop told us there is good reason why the tax rate has gone up.

“All of the budget money that we have to allocate to take care of the city services, such as trash pickup (and) the schools, all of those things come from the taxpayers paying their annual levy,” Anop explained.

We’re told the city’s mayor and council have used savings to help homeowners, deducting $3 million annually from tax rates since 2021, according to Anop.

In Holyoke, one resident posted on a forum his tax bill went up by a couple of hundred dollars.

So what is going on?

Through an e-mail exchange, Western Mass News got answers from Mayor Joshua Garcia.

Since 2021, the property tax rates have gone up in Holyoke through a rollercoaster effect.

Mayor Joshua Garcia told us the average single-family home tax bill is increasing by $352 for 2026, or approximately $29 per month.

So why is this the case?

Well, he told us the cost is being driven up by rising residential property values, higher costs for schools, transportation, insurance and contractual obligations, and subsidizing the sewer rate.

He explained to us the city has a commitment to have the retirement system fully funded by 2032, which requires $8 million per year beyond the standard retirement budget.

Western Mass News also tried to get in touch with the town of West Springfield about this. However, Mayor Reichelt and the Assessors’ Office were unavailable Tuesday for comment.

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