Frequently Asked Questions

Proposition 2½ is a Massachusetts law that limits how much a municipality can raise in property taxes each year. The total amount the Town can collect is the tax levy, and the maximum allowable levy is the levy limit.

Each year, the levy limit increases by:

•  2.5% of the prior year’s levy limit, and

•  New Growth, which reflects new construction and renovations.

A community may exceed its levy limit only with voter approval through an override.

An operating override is a voter‑approved, permanent increase in the Town’s levy limit. It provides recurring revenue to fund ongoing municipal and school operating costs.

When voters approve an override, the levy limit increases by the override amount. That amount becomes part of the base on which future 2.5% increases are calculated.

•  Operating override: Permanent increase for recurring operating costs.

•  Debt exclusion: Temporary increase to pay debt service for a specific capital project. When the debt is paid off, the tax increase ends.

Medfield has approved several operating overrides over the past 20 years. The most recent was in FY2019.

Over the past decade, the average single‑family tax bill has increased by approximately 2.84% per year, including the FY2019 override.