By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – Taxpayers could get their first look at their new property values by May 1, according to City Administrator Jim Bennett.

Values will show a shift in the tax burden from commercial properties to residential, Bennett said. He predicted the shift would be less then 10 percent.

“We’re not expecting anything as drastic as other cities have experienced, but it will be there,” Bennett said.

Taxpayers and city councilors will get their first look at the new citywide property values on March 21, when Bennett presents his draft budget to councilors.

“What we’ll have is a general look at the entire city, what the new values will be,” Bennett said. It will also show a good guess at a new tax rate, based on Bennett’s proposed budget. It should still be too soon to have individual values, however.

“They won’t be able to call us up then and find out what their property is worth,” he said. “We’re aiming to give that information out during the budget process, later in April and into May.”

The tax rate is currently $27.35 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Lewiston began its property revaluation in June, using a private firm to survey business, commercial and multifamily properties. The city began working on residential property values in September.

Capital plan approved

Councilors on Tuesday passed a capital improvement plan calling for $1.2 million from fiscal year 2006-07 taxes on roads, equipment and city projects.

The capital plan is the first part in the city’s annual budget process. The city’s project list this year calls for $925,000 in economic development, $838,000 in spending at the Bates Mill Enterprise Complex for operating costs and infrastructure work, $500,000 to upgrade Kennedy Park, $1.3 million in improvements to school buildings and more than $4 million in spending on road paving, repair and highway projects.

Bennett’s plan calls for spending about $1.2 million in new general fund taxes and about $400,000 in surplus money. City borrowing – about $1.4 million for schools, $5.7 million for water and sewer, $567,000 at the Colisee and $8.6 million for the city’s general bond issue – accounts for about 66 percent of the capital projects budget. Most of the rest would come from federal and state money and from shared expenses with Auburn.

Bennett also outlined the council’s budget hearing schedule for the next few months. Councilors will get the budget on March 21 and will meet with staff two days later. The first public hearing on the budget is scheduled for April 4.

Councilors are scheduled to wrap up budget work on May 23.

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