BETHEL – Town meeting voters in June can expect a proposed budget of $3.08 million, which is $274,853 more than this year. However, nontax revenues of $272,453 will reduce the spike to about a tenth of 1 percent. That’s the good news.

The not-so-good news for many residential taxpayers is that taxes will rise due to a nearly 60 percent jump projected for the town’s valuation, lifting it from $221.3 million to $350 million. That’s the result of a townwide revaluation started in January 2006, Town Manager Scott Cole said Thursday afternoon in Bethel.

“Homeowners should be prepared for higher tax bills. Because of the simple math of revaluation, what’s happening in Bethel is happening statewide,” he said.

Even if the overall tax burden is held relatively steady, there will be a roughly 20 to 30 percent increase in taxes.

“The winners will be the mill properties, who, arguably, are paying more now on a value basis,” Cole said.

Bethel last did a revaluation in 1988. Assessors have recommended a revaluation since 2000, responding to an increasing disparity between assessed values and market values of Bethel properties. A timetable and funding wasn’t included in the budget until 2005.

Cole said the tax burden will shift from nonresidential (commercial, industrial, utilities, etc.) to residential properties because market values have increased much faster than other types of property.

Two-thirds of the town’s tax base is considered residential, with the average assessed value at about 60 percent of market value, while the remaining third is nonresidential, with assessed values being much closer to 100 percent of market, Cole said.

Bethel levies $4 million each year in taxes against $221 million in total value based on the 1987 market, creating a tax rate of about $18 per $1,000 of value.

Cole said the annual state adjustment of total town value places Bethel at the 2005 market value of $350 million and, provides a theoretical “full-value” tax rate of $11.40 per $1,000.

“However, because of uneven changes in market value the past 20 years, residential properties will pay more in taxes even if the town holds the overall levy at $4 million,” he said.

To illustrate the effect, he uses his own house at 32 Mechanic St. It is assessed at about $98,000 after applying the $13,000 homestead exemption, but the new market value will likely be $200,000. Thus, he added, his proportional share of the tax base is expected to increase by 29 percent.

On a given family home, the tax rate could be less, but townspeople won’t really know until June, when the assessors finish work. That’s when preliminary notices of new values will be mailed to all taxpayers, who will get an opportunity then to review the values with assessors and file appeals as needed in July and August, Cole said.

New assessed values will take effect with tax bills due in November.