NEWRY — Nearly 3,400 tax bills were mailed to residents on Wednesday, a day after selectmen set the new tax rate in a special meeting, Administrator Loretta Powers said Thursday.
It is $9.12 per $1,000 of valuation, which is up from last year’s rate of $9.05.
“I try to keep it down, but that’s the best I can do,” Powers said.
Increases in fuel costs, and assessments from SAD 44 and Oxford County drove the hike, she said.
Newry taxpayers are billed once a year, but those who pay within the first 30 days get a 2-percent discount, she said.
Despite the discount, Powers said $40,000 in taxes have yet to be paid from last year and another $10,000 from 2010 taxes.
Powers said many residents are struggling to pay increased prices on heating oil, fuel and for food. She said she recently bought a jar of peanut butter that cost the same as a gallon of milk.
“It’s crazy for everybody,” she said. “Prices are just going up, up, up.”
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