WILTON – Residents will notice in recently mailed bills that the property tax rate increased this year from $20.30 to $20.70 per $1,000 of valuation. This does not mean, however, that homeowners’ taxes have increased.
An increase in the Homestead Exemption offset the tax rate increase, providing a small savings for most residential property owners, Town Manager Peter Nielsen told selectmen at their meeting Tuesday. Taxes on a property valued at $100,000 will be reduced about $50 from last year.
Selectmen also heard an extensive quarterly report from Police Chief Wayne Gallant.
The department provided 147 extra hours of police protection during the Blueberry Festival Aug. 5 and 6. One arrest, two traffic summonses and a couple of nighttime fights and disorderly complaints were logged.
“It was well worth the hours spent,” Gallant said, adding that the festival was very well-organized.
Other police activities in the report included:
• Attendance by Officer Ed Leahy at a two-day specialized uniform crime reporting training workshop in Augusta. Reports are now being filed properly and in a timely manner, Gallant said.
• All full-time officers and one reserve officer qualified at a night firearms handgun and shotgun course in Farmington.
• Most of the rooms and hallways at the public safety building have been painted, and new carpet was installed.
• Officers are attending monthly county criminal intelligence-sharing meetings at the Farmington Police Department.
• Officers have been participating in Criminal Justice Academy online training courses and testing, which fulfill some of the yearly training requirements. The online courses save the department the expense of sending the officers to the school in Vassalboro.
Selectmen also voted to sell two old water and sewer department trucks – a dump truck for $160.42 and a pickup for $165.42. They also accepted a donation of a new sign for Kineowatha Park with funds from an anonymous donor.
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