Eddington nixes SAD split, revaluation loan

EDDINGTON – Revaluating the town for tax purposes and considering withdrawal from SAD 63 topped the list of hot topics at Eddington’s annual town meeting Tuesday night.

The SAD 63 issue was so heated that it was moved up the list and became the second item considered.

“I would be very, very careful tampering with a good thing,” resident Bruce Pratt said about the proposal. “We’re turning out great students. We’ve got a system that’s working. It’s a good SAD.”

Selectman Joan Brooks said, “The board wanted to see the attitude of the town. The intent was to look into the ins and outs of doing this.”

After several other questions, residents voted by more than 4 to 1 not to allow the selectmen to look into leaving SAD 63. Approximately 75 residents were in attendance.

The other hot topic of the evening dealt with re-evaluating the town. Residents voted to advertise a request for bids for the project but then voted down a five-year loan to pay for it.

Roscoe Kent, chairman of the Board of Assessors, said, “1979 was the last time an evaluation of the town was done.”

Since then, the town has implemented several property value increases, the last being in 1997 when property and land values were increased by 15 percent across the board.

Expected property tax increases, how the change would affect the mill rate and state subsidies for school funding all arose as issues.

“It’s going to be quite a change,” said Kent. “The value of the buildings has grown tremendously in the last four years. I highly recommend the town do this.”

Charles Plummer, who sits on the board of assessors, estimated the town’s valuation at 80 percent of current property values.

“Right now we’re below minimum standards,” he said. “In order to get up to 100 percent we have to go up at least 13 percent. We’re still behind the eight ball.”

Projections of up to 25 percent increases in property values were discussed.

“There are people paying more than they should and people paying less than they should in this town,” said Kent.

Because residents rejected the loan proposal to pay for the project, it was suggested that the issue be placed on the June primaries.