REGIONAL – Just over a year ago, Republican legislative candidate Mark Tashjian intended to reside in a home in Beverly, which is not in the Second Essex legislative district he is now seeking to represent in the state House.
This month, after the chair of the town’s Planning Board raised a question about his residency, he felt compelled to rescinded his Homestead Exemption on the house at 26 Home St. in Beverly. Tashjian and his wife of less than a month reside in Georgetown, which is in the Second Essex legislative district.
The Second Essex District represents the towns of Georgetown, Hamilton, Ipswich, Newbury, Rowley and Topsfield, but not Beverly. Under state law, a candidate for a House district must reside in the district for one year.
Tashjian confirmed that he filed for the homestead exemption at the Southern District of Essex Registry for the residence at 26 Home St. in Beverly, where he intended to live. He filed the notarized statement on Oct. 5, 2023 that stated he “occupied or intended to occupy” the Beverly home.
He told The Town Common that he had filed with the Registry to rescind the homestead exemption, but could not recall when. “I’ll have to check on that filing,” he said.
The Registry recorded his filing to rescind the exemption on Oct. 9, 2024, a few days after Harry Cortiglia, chair of the Georgetown Planning Board, raised the issue of his residency.
Last year, after returning from an overseas trip to help refugees, Tashjian made repairs on the home and filed for the exemption, he said.
Rescinding a homestead exemption removes property value protection of up to $500,000 of an owner’s house from creditors who may try to force a sale to pay debts.
Tashjian met with about 40 constituents Wednesday night at the Ipswich Town Hall at an event that was planned and promoted by both the Democrat Town Committee and Republican Town Committee of Ipswich as a joint appearance with the incumbent, Rep. Kristin Kassner, D-Hamilton. But Kassner, who did not show for the event, said she never committed to it.
She said she had a conflict with legislative business at the Capitol.
The Statehouse News Service reported that the only business at the Capitol on Wednesday was celebration of Seafood Day.
“Happy Seafood Day,” Tashjian joked with the audience. “If she was going to be here, we were going to have a clam plate for her.”
Tashjian, responding to the moderator, Dan Kelly, the chair of the Ipswich Republican Party and his campaign manager, told the audience he graduated from the University of Connecticut, then found a job working at the Myopia Polo Club in South Hamilton. He said he fell in love with polo and has owned several polo horse farms, but does not own any farms now. He has also worked as a substitute teacher at Georgetown Schools.
He said he got into local politics at the urging of former Rep. Lenny Mirra, who lost by one vote to Kassner for reelection two years ago, and of Georgetown SelectBoard member Doug Dawes.
He was asked about several major issues, including housing and education. He is opposed to the controversial state housing plan, called 3A, which would impose multi-housing construction on the cities and town near the MBTA.
Tashjian said he believes the state needs to fix infrastructure and water supply issues before bringing in new residents, which will create more burdens on the municipalities.
He praised Kassner for her last two years of service, but criticized her for voting “more than any other House member” with the House Speaker Ron Mariano. If elected, he said he would follow in the path of Mirra and former Rep. Brad Hill.
