SUMNER – Town secretary Cynthia Norton told selectmen Tuesday that she had received about a dozen complaints about the tax tables used in last year’s revaluation.

In order to be consistent throughout the town, properties with water and sewer were placed on Table 2 or another higher table. Many property owners have seen increases in assessed property values because of this decision.

Selectmen discussed the option of lowering the valuations of all the town’s assessment tables.

Selectman Mark Silber pointed out that taxes would remain the same if this measure were taken. “If we brought down everybody’s valuation, the mill rate would have to go up,” he said.

Code Enforcement Officer Sidney Abbot said that older septic systems are not worth as much as new ones. The tax tables do not take these differences into account.

“We’re trying to do a mass evaluation; we’re not trying to appraise each house in detail,” said Selectman Thomas Standard. “It looks like a lot of paperwork that won’t be putting any money in anybody’s pockets.”

Norton informed selectmen that Stuart and Sheryll Abbot, owners of Two Fools Airport, inquired about tax-exempt status for the landing strip on their property. Norton said a landing strip that is open to the public is legally exempt from taxation. She will contact the Department of Transportation to find out what steps the town should take.

In other business, selectmen decided not to accept the Arrabine J. Dunn Relief Fund as a committee of the town. “I am reluctant to take on another burden of another committee,” said Silber. Responsibility for the fund, which consists of money donated to the volunteer fire department, will be returned to the Fire Department.