BURLINGTON – For the third year in a row, taxpayers in this small town will see their tax bills drop, unless they have made improvements to their homes.

The new tax rate has dropped 45 cents, from $12.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $12.05.

Taxpayers with a home valued at $50,000 will see their tax bill drop by $22.50. Bills are due by Dec. 31. Interest of 8 percent per annum will be charged after that date. Residents can expect to receive their new tax bills early next week.

Rachael Kilby, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said the town’s financial condition is very good. She said officials do not expect any major fluctuations in the tax rate and were working hard to keep a stable rate.

She said the tax rate dropped because the town had used revenues from tree growth penalties to fund its sanitation budget instead of raising the money from local taxes and also because the overall value of the town had increased.

The total taxable value of the town is $17,693,866, an increase of $224,996 compared with last year’s value of $17,468,869. Kilby said the increase in the town’s value came from a large parcel of land being taken out of tree growth, a few new homes and some home improvements.

The total amount raised from local taxes is $221,437, an increase of $12,586 compared with last year’s $208,850.

The Penobscot County tax assessment of $19,934 increased by $2,677. The school assessment of $207,417 represents an increase of $12,154 compared with last year. Municipal appropriations of $146,102 represent a decrease of $539 compared with last year.

Kilby said no major capital projects are planned this year. She praised the efforts of Fire Chief John Smith and the Tri-Angle Fire Department, an all-volunteer department serving Burlington and Lowell. “They are doing a great job, and we all are very proud of them,” she said.

The selectman said the department now has four firefighters certified for Firefighter I status and has received a new thermal imaging camera purchased with a grant from the Cole Foundation. She said the department has a fund-raising effort under way to raise $4,000 to repay the grant. For information about making donations contact Chief John Smith.