NEW SHARON – Tax bills for 2016 are being mailed this week.
According to a news release submitted by the board of selectmen, a work session held this week calculated the mil rate at 16.89, which means $16.89 for each $1,000 of assessed valuation. The rate in 2015 was 15.8, or $15.80 for each $1,000 of assessed valuation. That is an increase of $1.09 for each $1,000 of assessed valuation.
However, the board in calculating the mil rate noted that the state has increased the homestead exemption to $15,000 from $10,000. That means that the first $15,000 of the value of a primary residential property is exempt from taxation. So, a property with a value of $100,000 would be assessed at $85,000 if the property owner had filed for the homestead exemption.
In raising the homestead exemption, however, the state changed the reimbursement procedure. The state no longer reimburses the full amount of the exemption. Instead, it reimburses $12,500. The taxation on the other $2,500 that is not assessed on residential property owners must be made up by the town. At the rate of $16.89 for each $1,000 of assessed valuation, that amounts to $42.22 for each residential property that must be made up by local taxpayers.
The town assessment provides funding for three governments, and all raised spending this year. They are RSU 9, Franklin County and the town of New Sharon.
The RSU 9 tax bill for the year is $1,154,303.76, an increase of $103,291.76 from 2015. That is 9.8 percent. RSU 9’s budget year is July through June while the town’s is January through December. That means that half of the tax bill for this year reflects taxes approved by RSU 9 voters in 2015 for last year’s school budget. The amount coming from local taxation in 2015 was higher than the amount coming from local taxation in 2016.
Franklin County’s tax bill to the town rose by $1,746, or 1.5 percent. Country taxation for New Sharon is $116,289, up from $114,543 in 2015.
The other increase was taxes raised by voters on March 12 at the annual town meeting. New Sharon’s voters raised $3,208 more for 2016 than for 2015. The totals were $843,123 for this year and $839,915 for 2015.
The total assessment for the town for 2016 is $1,699,194.76, or an increase of $83,304.76. The total raised in 2015 was $1,615,890. That is a percentage increase of 5.2 percent.
It is time for New Sharon to elect a new Selectman in March.
The long time residents and many of the civic minded folks
enjoyed the old Historical Society and appreciate the New Sharon
organizations the way they are.
Change is not always progress.
Many folks here do not want a new Town Office, considering the expense.
We need to return to responsible, considerate decision-making about
local organizations and future expenses.
If the past three years represent going into the 21st Century- well,
it does not seem like progress.
It is time for New Sharon to elect new Selectman at the March Town Meeting
so that all residents and civic minded folks are represented.
Addition to post:
Without a change of a selectman in March, the taxes may keep increasing, much to the
discomfort of New Sharon residents.