Caribou council awaits tax figures Education costs increase with new state valuation

CARIBOU – The Caribou City Council could set the city’s 2002-2003 property tax rate when it meets on June 10.

City Manager Stephen Buck said Friday that he will receive preliminary figures this week, and the council could act on the proposal at its next meeting.

The council had approved the Caribou School Department budget of $11,587,834 on May 13, after a public hearing during which no one asked any questions about the proposed budget.

The council had approved the 2002 budget of $6,659,797 for municipal expenditures in March, which included $307, 577 for the city’s share of the Aroostook County budget and all of the city’s expenses except education.

The 2001 tax rate in Caribou was $22.50 per $1,000 in property valuation, 22.5 mills. One mill raises between $250,000 and $260,000 in Caribou.

Buck said the city expenses are up by $86,440 this year, compared with 2001, mainly because of the increases in health costs and wages.

The school budget, an increase of $465,149 over the 2001-2002 budget, is an increase of 4.2 percent, according to Superintendent Arthur Benner’s report to the City Council.

In his report, Benner said the budget provides for additional special education staff, a new biology laboratory, an agricultural classroom at Caribou High School, roof repairs at the Hilltop School, safety upgrades at the Teague Park playground, a new school bus, and significant increases in health insurance and modest salary increases.

Benner also said the city would see an increase in local cost for education because the city’s state valuation rose over the last year.

The local cost is up about $18,000 from $2,565,321 last year to $2,583,645 in the nest year.

State aid is also up for the city, about $358,000, from $6,620,235 in the current year to $6,978,059 next year.

Special education receipts are also expected to increase from $125,000 this year to $165,000 next year. Tuition paid by other towns to the Caribou School Department will see an increase of about $14,000.

Buck did not think the tax rate would be affected much by the increases in municipal and education budgets.

Buck expected that property valuation would increase by as much as $1.5 million this year. That will bring in an extra $33,750 in property taxes.

He also expects that other revenues will also increase in the coming year, by as much as $108,000.