Greenville officials seek to keep mill rate unchanged

GREENVILLE – The only conflict this year between selectmen and the budget committee in the annual town warrant is the amount to be donated to the Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce.

Selectmen are recommending a $5,000 donation to the Chamber, whereas the budget committee is supporting a $10,000 donation.

The funding will be addressed at the annual town meeting June 4, at the Louis Oakes School Auditorium. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. with town warrant articles addressed first, followed by the school budget.

The town has traditionally provided the Chamber $10,000 to help offset the costs of the visitor’s center, but this year the requests of many departments were reduced to retain the mill rate of $10.60 per $1,000 property valuation, Greenville Town Manager John Simko said Friday.

“I feel it’s a responsible budget that allows us to maintain the current mill rate for another year,” Simko said Friday.

The proposed municipal spending plan has total expenditures of $1,681,598, which is an increase of $102,605 over the current year. Revenues are anticipated to be $847,849, also reflecting an increase of $102,605.

Some revenues were underestimated to make the increase match the proposed increase in expenditures, according to Simko. He said he has encouraged selectmen to keep the mill rate at $10.60.

Maine law allows communities to set aside a maximum of 5 percent of the budget, which is termed overlay. These funds are used to cover abatements and nonpayment of property taxes and for unforeseen circumstances.

Simko said the town has dipped heavily into surplus over the years. It is estimated the town will have only $50,000 to $75,000 in surplus at the end of 2007, most of which lapsed from overlay because there were not as many abatements needed as anticipated.

Those abatements were expected from a revaluation the town completed in 2006. That property revaluation jumped the town’s assessed value from $156 million to $319 million. Despite the jump, the mill rate decreased from $20.70 to $10.60 per $1,000 worth of property valuation, according to Simko. Every effort was made to keep that tax rate, he said.