Lincoln officials say mill rates drop slightly

LINCOLN – Unexpected tax revenue increases and basic, tight fiscal management helped lower Lincoln’s tax rate slightly this year, town officials said Friday.

The tax rate fell from 18.24 mills last year to 18.1 mills for the 2007-08 fiscal year, Tax Collector Edie Moore said. First-half payments are due on Nov. 29, about two weeks later than normal because town workers were slightly late in mailing them, she said.

Moore attributed some of the lateness to her newness on the job. The former treasurer of Georgetown and bookkeeper of Tremont began her new position on Sept. 10.

A mill is equal to $1 of tax for each $1,000 of assessment. A property with an assessed value of $100,000 will pay a tax of $1,810 under the new mill rate.

Residents might expect to see the mill rate continue to fall next year as the local economy continues to boom and more tax revenue is generated. Close to a dozen new retail and commercial buildings or businesses have or will open over the next year, including an expanded Wal-Mart and several smaller businesses.

But Town Council Chairman Steve Clay said it is far too early to tell. The increase in the size of the business community might be offset by an increase in the town services needed to address their needs, such as the Police and Fire or Public Works departments. The town is considering moving its Town Office, renovating or replacing its Public Works garage, and might aid in a thus far tax-free effort to build a recreation and community center.

“Those are all things that we need to consider,” Clay said Friday. “I don’t think anyone knows right now exactly how it will all fall together.”

Most big-ticket spending items require referendum approvals anyway, Clay said.

Over the last year, Town Manager Glenn Aho and the town department heads kept tight controls on spending and still managed to increase road paving and some other basic services, Clay said.

“The town is managed very well. Our spending is watched very closely,” Clay said. “We also had some monies we didn’t spend last year that were rolled over. We have good department heads.”

Aho, Treasurer Gilberte Mayo and Assessor Ruth Birtz were absent and could not be reached for comment on Friday.