HOLDEN – When local tax bills arrive, residents will need to fork over less than $20 per $1,000 in assessed property value, it was decided during Monday’s Town Council meeting.

After some discussion about using additional fund balance tallies to reduce the rate even further, the decision was made to stick with the recommendation of Tax Assessor Carl Lowe.

“This year it’s been recommended that we take $375,000 from the fund balance,” Lowe said during the meeting. “That would reduce the tax burden on people by $1.58.”

The council decided to set the tax rate for the 2005-06 fiscal year at $19.98 per $1,000 in property value, down from $21.56 charged this year.

“I’m glad to see it drop below $20,” Councilor John Bryant said.

The projected fund balance would remain at approximately $600,000, after the funds are moved to reduce the tax rate, Lowe said.

The board also made several changes to the subdivision ordinance during the meeting, now allowed by the town’s charter.

Changes include allowing the amount of road frontage required for cluster developments to be cut by up to 50 percent by the board with requirements that developers “put 50 percent of the land into open space.”

“This is a common tool to prevent sprawl,” Code Enforcement Officer Stephen Condon said. “It’s a way of clustering anti-sprawl and still keep areas protected.”

The other four changes to the subdivision ordinance are to comply with updated state statutes and include requirements for a 5-to-1 ratio for subdivision lots with water frontage; phosphorus concentrations regulations; impact on adjoining municipality rules; and limits to liquidation harvesting associated with subdivisions.

During the meeting, the board appointed:

. Malcolm Coulter Jr. to the planning board to fill the vacancy created when Robert Harvey was elected to the Town Council. Coulter will serve the remainder of Harvey’s term, which expires in June 2008.

. Patricia Sirois to the SAD 63 board of directors to fill a vacancy created with Richard Perry’s resignation. Sirois will serve one year on the board, the remainder of Perry’s term.