Robyn McClintock of Canton, standing at right, moderates a sparsely attended special town meeting Tuesday at the Canton Town Office. Voters approved using up to $250,000 from undesignated funds to offset the amount needed from property taxes to fund government operations for fiscal year 2023-24. Seated from left are Selectmen Rob Walker, Carole Robbins, Chairman Brian Keene, Michelle Larrivee and Kristi Carrier. Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times
CANTON — Selectmen voted 4-1 Tuesday to set the property tax rate at $19.25 for $1,000 of assessed value. It’s $1.50 more than last year.
Before setting the rate, voters at a sparsely attended special town meeting approved using up to $250,000 from undesignated funds to offset the amount needed from property taxes to fund government operations for fiscal year 2023-24.
Selectmen Rob Walker, Carole Robbins, Michelle Larrivee and Kristi Carrier voted for the rate and using $200,000 from the undesignated funds. Chairman Brian Keene opposed.
Keene wrote in an email Thursday that he opposed the tax rate because of “the amount of money being used from undesignated funds. While I agree that we do not want our tax rate to increase, especially in the current economic climate, we also need to be careful how much of our surplus we are using to offset that rate.”
In other business, selectmen accepted bids for two foreclosed properties. Among six bidders, John Wilsey of Canton got the property at 608 Jewett Hill Road $5,020.
Seven bids were received for 30 Summit Drive and Markey Real Estate of Canton got that piece for $17,200.
A foreclosed property at 318 School St. had five bidders and two were for $30,000. Selectmen are conferring with the town’s lawyer for advice on how to determine the winner.
In another matter, Carrier advised that the town’s Sand for Seniors program starts in December. Canton residents ages 65 or older can call the Town Office to order a bucket of sand for their walkway and driveway this winter. It will be delivered by a public works employee or program volunteer, she said.
Qualifying residents may call the Town Office at 597-2920 or come to the office at 94 Turner St. to add their names to the list for sand delivery.
Selectmen appointed Danielle Stevens to the Recreation Committee, joining Kim Bernard and Keene.
The also approved a $150 donation for Dixfield Discount Fuel’s annual Toy Drive, now in its fourteenth year. On its Facebook page it lists two dozen business locations in the River Valley area where people can leave toys until Dec. 7.
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