Oxford will open its new municipal headquarters at 127 Pottle Road on Sept. 20. Nicole Carter/Advertiser Democrat
OXFORD — Selectmen voted 4-1 Thursday night to set the property tax rate at $15 per $1,000 of assessed value, the same as last year.
Dana Dillingham, who wanted to drop it to $14.75, was the dissenting vote. Supporting the $15 rate were Chairwoman Sharon Jackson, Vice Chairman Caldwell Jackson, Floyd Thayer and Scott Hunter.
Town Manager Adam Garland said the town’s valuation this year has increased about $4 million and county taxes about $23,500. The school budget assessment has dropped about $40,000 and revenue-sharing is going up about $103,000.
“Municipal spending this year is going up by about $150,000 due to some capital purchases and so forth,” Garland said. “My recommendation is for the mill rate to remain at $15, as it is right now. It provides for an overlay of about $50,000, close to what it was last year.
“And keep in mind that we are going through a revaluation so we may see some changes next year,” he said.
Dillingham said a valuation increase of $4.39 million is substantial and asked whether lowering the tax rate slightly should be considered.
“I feel we should at least try to lower the mill rate,” he said. “I was hoping for at least a half point but I would settle for a quarter. We’ve had more money come in than ever before from the casino.”
Chairwoman Jackson said lowering the tax rate would require increasing projected revenues to maintain a manageable overlay, or take money from the fund balance, currently at $1.1 million, to offset it.
“I believe it’s best to keep the overlay to around $50,000,” she said. “And I do not support the undesignated fund falling below $1 million.”
In another matter, selectmen approved a $14,846 bid from D & N Sales and Service Inc. of Turner to replace three bay doors at the transfer station and recycling buildings. The doors will be on tracks and not rollers. The bids for rolling doors ranged from $24,796 to $25,100.
Transfer Station Manager Ed Knightly recommended track doors from the Turner company instead of Overhead Door Co. of Portland and The Door Guy in West Paris.
“I’ve been doing business with D & N and they provide very good service,” Knightly said. “When you call them they’re there. I recommend going with the regular doors. You can get parts a lot easier for them than with the rolling doors.”
The doors will be paid from the town’s fund balance account.
Selectmen agreed to order less winter sand, after the bid from RA Tibbetts Trucking in Oxford came in at $78,750.
Garland said the rate this year is $17.50 per yard. The 2022-23 budgeted amount is $49,500.
Highway Department foreman Jim Bennett and Garland recommended that, with 1,500 yards on hand, the town buy 2,500 yards this year.
Richard Tibbetts, who has supplied the sand for several years, said he could adjust the price to $15 a yard if Oxford transports it. He also said if the town finds itself short midway through the season he would have to add a $2 surcharge to cover the extra work of moving a pile covered by snow.
Selectmen also voted to appoint Alan Lima Sr. to the Planning Board and Lois Pike to the Recreation Committee.
In an update on moving town offices from the Municipal Center on Pleasant Street to a renovated single-story building at 127 Pottle Road, Garland said it will happen between Sept. 14 and 19. The office is scheduled to open to the public Tuesday, Sept. 20.
Public notices advising residents they will not be able to conduct business for four business days will be posted on the town website and social media, in newspapers and on signs in the lobby of the Pleasant Street office building.
To accommodate the move, the next selectmen meeting will be at 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at the new town office.
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