DIXFIELD — For the second consecutive year, homeowners will see a decrease in their property tax rate in the upcoming fiscal year.
The Board of Selectmen voted Monday evening to set the town’s 2016-17 tax rate at $20.10 per $1,000 of value, down from the $20.40 per $1,000 valuation that was set during the 2015-16 fiscal year.
The $20.10 rate will provide the town with a $49,411 overlay, which is money the town would use if a department overspends its budget.
Dixfield homeowners can expect to see an average savings of $140 on their tax bills, Town Manager Carlo Puiia said.
From the $140 savings, $30 is the result of the lower mill rate, and $110 is the result of the Homestead Exemption that Dixfield homeowners receive.
Puiia provided selectmen with five tax rate options to be voted on during Monday’s meeting: $19.90, $20, $20.10, $20.25 and $20.40.
Puiia said the first option was “very low for a town this size,” and that he wouldn’t recommend it.
Selectman Norman Mitchell said he was “all for Option 1,” and wouldn’t want to go higher than $20 per $1,000 of value.
However, Selectman Eugene Skibitsky said he would only be comfortable with $20.10 or $20.25.
After a brief discussion, Selectman Aaron Jamison made a motion to go with the $20.10 rate, calling it a “happy medium.”
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