To the editor:
Your editorial on Dec. 13 misleads your readers on the solar tax situation in New Ipswich. The editorial reads “Local towns… can choose to tax the added value of solar panels when calculating property taxes.” This statement is incorrect. The local towns (and their officials) are required to tax the solar panels unless the town specifically adopts a renewable energy property tax exemption. In other words, the state at one time required the panels to be taxed, since they are technically a property improvement that adds value, but then passed a law on the state level to allow the towns to exempt the value of the panels if the voters in the town approve of the exemption.
This is blatently different than saying the town can choose to tax the value when they are required to unless the voters decide otherwise. The real question should be why did it take so long for someone to put together the petition with the 25 required signatures to get this on the town warrant?
Joseph Applewood
New Ipswich