Mass. Property tax bills climb as values dip

The Boston Globe reports:

The average assessed value for single-family homes in Massachusetts fell for the first time in more than a decade last year, even as property tax bills continued to climb.

The average single-family home was valued at $403,695, a slight dip from $406,673 in 2007, according to data from the state Department of Revenue for the fiscal year that ended June 30. It was the first drop since 1994. More than 140 communities lost value last year, with the biggest drop recorded in Peabody, at nearly 10 percent.

But property taxes continued to rise statewide. The average single-family bill increased $149 to $4,111, up 3.7 percent from a year ago, according to Department of Revenue data analyzed by the Globe. Taxes jumped more than 5 percent in 30 communities.

The growth of big government.