After delays, Acton is launching a voluntary payment appeal to non-profits
Non-profits own roughly 5% of Acton’s land and could net close to $1.5 million if they fully agree to the payments.
It’s go time in the town’s push to get non-profit landowners to voluntarily open their checkbooks.
Roughly seven months after the Select Board adopted a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) policy, Chief Financial Officer Anthony Ansaldi said he planned to send an initial letter to organizations this month.
Negotiators plan to focus on major tax-exempt landowners as the town seeks new revenue amid its persistent budget crunch.
Non-profit leaders previously shared mixed reactions to the effort.
While they benefit Acton, officials say, non-profits also hit municipal resources. PILOTs could help cover their impact. But the policy has no legal teeth, and Ansaldi warned it might take time to reach deals.
Select Board members recently split over first-year revenue targets. And board chair Mary Hartman said she was “a little disappointed” with the lag between the policy’s adoption and outreach from staff.
‘We need to get serious’
Acton already has deals with the state and federal government. The Acton Municipal Light Plant also pays the town.
Non-profits own roughly 5% of Acton’s land and could net close to $1.5 million if they agree to pay 25% of the estimated for-profit tax bill for their property.
Already short-staffed due to a job vacancy, the Finance Department waited until after April’s Concord250 celebrations to begin outreach, Ansaldi said.
At a May 12 Select Board meeting, Ansaldi said staff would negotiate on a case-by-case basis; agreements might start with a small contribution.
The PILOT policy also covers non-profits that rent land from the town. Ansaldi floated a “conservative” $100,000 revenue target for the 2026 fiscal year. While then-Select Board member Terri Ackerman applauded the goal, Hartman questioned it, saying it’s not an “aggressive” target.
“We need to get serious,” she said.
Non-profit reactions
The Acton Bridge reviewed town listings of 656 tax-exempt parcels from the 2023 fiscal year and reached out to landowning non-profits after the PILOT policy passed. Most didn’t respond or declined to comment.
Jan Turnquist, executive director of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, said the organization would “certainly agree” to discuss payments if officials wanted to start a conversation.
In a December interview, Minute Man Arc CEO Jean Goldsberry said she was disappointed she didn’t hear from the town before the Select Board adopted the PILOT plan.
Goldsberry said most Minute Man Arc funding comes through programs such as Medicaid, which afford little flexibility to increase revenue.
She estimated that a 25% PILOT payment could cost $20,000. Such a sum might force Minute Man Arc to serve 10 fewer children in one of its summer programs and to cut staff hours.
Speaking before the recent uncertainty around tariffs and rising recession fears, Goldsberry said her organization was already facing pressure from higher grocery costs for its nine group homes.
Priority contacts
Ansaldi said staff would send a general letter to every eligible non-profit. Officials are especially focused on organizations including Emerson Hospital and local private schools.
The Bridge reached out individually to Acton Academy, Middlesex School, Nashoba Brooks School, and The Fenn School. Administrators responded with a joint statement, saying they are “deeply grateful to be part of a community that shares our dedication to educating young people.”
The schools said they’re proud to serve the community and “look forward to continuing our partnership with Acton.”
An Emerson Hospital spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
Delayed outreach
Select Board members urged Ansaldi to act quickly after last month’s meeting. In an email, he said he opted to wait until he and Town Manager Kerry Lafleur could meet with a resident who helped facilitate a PILOT in another community. The meeting was scheduled for June 10.
In the meantime, the Select Board reached an agreement with the not-for-profit operators of the Newbury Court senior living campus that promises PILOT talks if the organization ever gets tax-exempt status.
While President Donald Trump has targeted funding for larger non-profit universities and research institutions, newly minted Finance Committee chair Lois Wasoff said she doesn’t expect cuts will impact Acton’s negotiations with comparatively smaller organizations.
Erin Tiernan contributed reporting.
