KINGFIELD — Property owners can look forward to a lower tax bill for the 2018-19 fiscal year.
The board’s assessing agent, Selectman Ray Meldrum, said Monday night that he calculated the town added $1.2 million to the property tax rolls since the last valuation. People have built camps and homes, he said, and Poland Spring Water Co. built a new silo, adding tax revenue.
“I recommend we can lower our (tax) rate from $17 to $16.50,” he said.
Administrative Assistant Leanna Targett said tax bills and a survey on suggestions for future growth will be mailed in the next few days.
She explained other calculations that go into setting the rate. Some money is taken each year from the town surplus account, and the state’s Business Equipment Tax Exemption program allows qualifying businesses to get exemptions for certain categories of equipment. The town is reimbursed for a little over half of that lost revenue, she said.
In other matters, Susan Davis, representing Maine Huts and Trails, asked selectmen to allocate $300 for advertising space on their new area map. Maine Huts and Trails is a $1.9 million business, she noted. Selectmen approved the funds.
Jim Boyce, caretaker of the town’s Sunnyside and Riverside cemeteries, was authorized to make repairs he deems necessary.
Selectmen also authorized Targett to contract with Maine PowerOptions for a six-year guaranteed electric rate of $0.0665. The town is paying $.0671 per kilowatt hour, and the cost of electricity is expected to increase again at the end of the year, Targett said.
Maine PowerOptions formed as an aggregator to provide its members with better fixed rates. The town will have a fixed electricity budget that will be about $1,000 less per year.
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