TURNER — At a special meeting Monday night, selectmen set the 2016 tax rate at $15.90 per $1,000 property evaluation. They were able to hold the increase over last year’s rate to 1.3 percent.
Town Manager Kurt Schaub said the primary reason for the increase was the Rescue Department budget. At a special town meeting, Turner citizens made it clear they wanted a more advanced level of service and an improved response time. At the annual town meeting, residents provided the funds for this improved service.
Turner now staffs the station full time with two responders, one a qualified paramedic, the highest level of certification for emergency medical responders. Previously, the station was staffed during the day only, with “on call” responders during the evening hours and on weekends. A paramedic did not necessarily respond to all calls.
When the duty team is on a call, dispatch will either call off-duty Turner personnel or mutual aid, depending on who can respond the fastest.
The Rescue Department budget went from $272,361 in fiscal year 2015 to $512,747 in 2016. The $240,000 budget increase will be partially offset by a $105,000 increase in projected Rescue Department income.
“Our Budget Committee, selectmen and staff worked hard to hold the line this year, knowing that rescue was going to cost more,” Chairman Kurt Youland said. “Many of our other departmental budgets were frozen or went down, though we were able to maintain our commitment to good roads and to our capital reserve program.”
The valuation of real estate increased less than 1 percent to $376 million. The valuation of personal property decreased 4 percent to $11 million. This was largely due to K&K Excavation selling a large quantity of construction equipment after it completed a large pipeline contract.
Near the end of the legislative session, state legislators substantially increased state aid to schools. Those funds can only be used for items already in the school budget.
Turner officials tried to get the school board to use the funds to lower the town assessment for education, but the school board refused. They will keep the funds to compensate for any shortfall in their anticipated income from other sources. Any surplus remaining at the end of the school year will be reimbursed to the towns.
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