It is not appropriate to set the place=* value based on the incorporation status of municipalities. In OSM the place=* tag should have a value that is based on the size, amenities, and importance of the community, not it's incorporation status. In New England, the basic unit of municipal incorporation is called a "Town", but this doesn't mean that such a municipality demands a "place=town". 
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:place#Populated_settlements,_urban_and_rural

Please follow up with the New England mapping community in the thread at https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/new-england-place-name-inflation/103878/12