WOODSTOCK – Selectmen set the tax rate Tuesday at $15.30, an increase of $1.20 per $1,000 of valuation from 2002.

Town Manager Vern Maxfield said the increase is due to higher state valuation, the SAD 44 school assessment, the Oxford County tax and less money used from surplus than in past years.

“Our municipal budget was only up by about $1,000, but the school and county went up 7 percent, and what we used from savings was down 14 percent,” Maxfield said, “so we need to increase the tax rate to $15.30 from the $14.10 we had last year. However, the $15.30 is still lower than any other town around here.”

He also said the rate could be kept down from that figure if more money were used from surplus, “but we can’t keep using our savings too much every year like we have in the past.”

The board members agreed.

“No we can’t. If we keep using our savings we won’t have anything to fall back on later,” Selectman Leon Poland said.

The vote on the tax rate was unanimous.

Selectmen also agreed to change the September meeting dates to the second and fourth Tuesdays from the first and third Tuesdays. Selectman Steve Bies would not be able to meet on the traditional dates. The meetings will be at 5 p.m. Sept. 9 and 23.

Maxfield said there will be a public hearing at 7 p.m. Aug. 27 by the Maine Department of Transportation on rebuilding Merrifield Hill on Route 26. The meeting will at the town office.

The project, planned for next year, will include widening the road for a truck lane.

The board decided to rebid the sale of the old fire station on Railroad Street. The first ones were refused because they were above $20,000 minimum set by selectmen.

Any new bids must be in by 5 p.m. Sept. 9, and a minimum bid of $20,000 is still required.

The money from the sale is needed to help pay for the fire station expansion that is under way.

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