CARTHAGE – When residents receive their tax bills this week, they will see a nearly 18 percent reduction in the tax rate.

But that doesn’t mean the bottom line will be any lower than last year. While a few will indeed be lower, some bills will be higher than last year. It all depends on the amount of land owned and whether some or any of it is affected by the Tree Growth Tax law.

Selectman Steve Brown said the tax rate was reduced from $24 per $1,000 valuation to $19.70 per $1,000 because the value of all land parcels was doubled.

The doubling, he said, is based on the going rate for the sale of land.

“Land sales are more market driven. We probably should have increased it more in the past two or three years,” he said.

Selectmen, who also serve as assessors, have increased land value 15 percent one year and a slightly higher percentage the next. But recent sales have shown that the value of land has increased more.

“We tried to do this fairly,” he said.

Property taxes are due in full by Jan. 10. Those not paid by the due date are subject to 6.5 percent annual interest rate.

Of the total tax commitment, 27 percent goes to run the town, 67 percent for SAD 21, and 6 percent for Oxford County taxes.