WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

H 4269

An Act authorizing the town of Wrentham to exempt from taxation certain real estate owned and occupied by the surviving spouse of Wrentham Deputy Chief George C. Labonte

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Marcus Vaughn

Allows Wrentham to exempt from property taxes the surviving spouse’s home of former deputy chief George C. Labonte, limited to domicile and non-remarriage.

Read second and ordered to a third reading
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 4269

Summary of H.4269: An Act authorizing the town of Wrentham to exempt from taxation certain real estate owned and occupied by the surviving spouse of Wrentham Deputy Chief George C. Labonte

Overview

H.4269 is a local-approved bill that authorizes the Town of Wrentham to exempt from property taxation a specific real estate asset: the home of the surviving spouse of George C. Labonte, who served as a deputy chief in the Wrentham Police Department and died on August 12, 2024. The exemption would be available starting with the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2025 and would apply to the property as long as it remains the surviving spouse’s domicile and the spouse remains unmarried.

Purpose and Intent

  • Create a targeted property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a former town law enforcement official.
  • Provide tax relief by removing real estate owned and occupied as the surviving spouse’s domicile from taxation, in accordance with Chapter 59 of the General Laws.
  • The measure is a local option allowing the town to grant the exemption, not an automatic nationwide change.

Key Provisions

  • Section 1: Beginning with the fiscal year starting July 1, 2025, the Wrentham assessors may exempt from taxation under Chapter 59 the real estate owned by and occupied as the domicile of the surviving spouse of George C. Labonte, a former Wrentham deputy chief, who died August 12, 2024. The exemption lasts “until remarried.”
  • Section 2: The act takes effect upon its passage.
  • The exemption applies to the property as long as it remains the surviving spouse’s domicile and the spouse remains unmarried.

Who Is Affected

  • Primary beneficiary: The surviving spouse of George C. Labonte.
  • Local government impact: Wrentham’s Board of Assessors would administer the exemption; other taxpayers in Wrentham could see a reduction in local property tax revenue from this parcel, depending on the value of the exempted property.

Timing and Process

  • Referred to the Committee on Revenue (July 14, 2025).
  • Senate concurred on July 21, 2025.
  • Hearing scheduled: November 7, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM in Gardner Auditorium.
  • Effective date: Upon passage.

Additional Details

  • Sponsor: Marcus S. Vaughn (primary).
  • Status: Local approval path; “Revenue” committee action noted; hearing scheduled to gauge local impact and support.
  • Related/ companion: HD 4902 is referenced as replacing this version in the docket context.

This bill provides a targeted, temporary property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a local police official, with a narrow scope limited to the spouse’s primary residence in Wrentham and contingent on remarriage, starting in the 2025 fiscal year.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.