Burlington decreases mill rate by $3.30

BURLINGTON – Taxpayers in this small town won’t have to dig as deep into their pockets to pay this year’s tax bill.

The town’s new tax rate has dropped by $3.30, from $15.80 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $12.50.

Owners of a home valued at $50,000 will see their tax bill drop by $165. Bills are due by Dec. 31, with interest of 10 percent per annum charged after that date.

Rachael Kilby, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said the residents would see a significant decrease in taxes. She thanked Roland Minott, former chairman of the Board of Selectmen, and tax collector Orland Shorey for their assistance.

Responding to questions of how long the lower rate would hold, Kilby said she couldn’t predict what the school budget would be next year. She said she would like to see improvements made to the municipal building.

“We would like to keep it steady, but I’m not going to try to even predict,” she said of future tax rates. Kilby said officials planned to continue with the same fiscal responsibility of the past administrations.

Shorey said bills were in the mail. Most residents received their bills Saturday.

The total value of the town is $17,468,869.50, an increase of $445,814.50 compared with last year’s total town value. Kilby said much of the increase in the town’s value came from a revaluation of shorefront properties. She said residential properties have yet to be revalued. Kilby said the revaluation of the town would be completed by April.

Despite increases in the county and the school assessments, the amount raised from local taxes went down. The total amount raised from local taxes is $208,850.62, a decrease of $47,568.13 or 18.5 percent compared with last year.

The county tax assessment of $17,257 represents an increase of $1,811.50. The school assessment of $195,262.76 represents an increase of $6,691.44. Municipal appropriations of $146,641 represent a decrease of $18,324 compared with last year.

The town is using more revenues, such as those from timber harvesting fees, to fund various accounts instead of raising the money from local taxes. Earlier, officials described the municipal budget as a status quo, with no major projects and no new positions.

The drop in the tax rate should come as no surprise. Former town officials predicted the lower rate before the annual town meeting in March. At the time, officials said the town was in excellent financial condition and could easily sustain a lower tax rate for at least two years.