BETHEL – Tax bills are scheduled to go out next week to property owners of record as of April 1, 2004.

The matter had been on hold until the Board of Assessors set a new tax rate, which it did Wednesday morning.

A rate of $15.50 per thousand of assessed valuation – the same as last year – was adopted for Fiscal Year 2005.

Bethel’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.

According to a board news release, the rate – after adjustment for homestead exemptions – creates a total town levy of approximately $3.13 million, spread across $206 million in taxable property in Bethel.

Several factors affected the final rate.

While the town continued to realize strong growth in its tax base through land subdivision and construction activity, the growth was offset in the current year by a one-time reduction in the value of timeshare properties, according to a town press release.

On the expenditure side, municipal, school and county assessments all increased by about 5 percent from last year.

The most significant factor, though, was the Sept. 20 special town meeting decision by voters to use $400,000 from surplus to reduce the tax levy.

Without that action, residents could have expected an estimated 12 percent tax increase, to a rate of $17.35 per $1,000 of valuation.

For residents to avoid interest charges, the first payment must be postmarked or received by Nov. 15, 2004, and the second payment by May 15, 2005.