DURHAM — Property owners will see a substantial hike when they open their tax bills next week. 

Selectmen, who are also assessors, held a special meeting Wednesday morning to set the 2009 tax rate at $21.36 per $1,000 valuation, up $2.14 from last year.

At the conclusion of the annual town meeting earlier this year, Budget Committee Chairman Allan Purinton predicted the municipal budget enacted would result in a tax rate hike of $1. That doesn’t include the school budget, which was not adopted until this week.

The 2008 tax rate was $19.22. The new rate was based on a total of $190,086,240 in taxable real-estate and personal property. The assessment includes county tax, $322,601.54; town operations, $2,132,258.23; education $3,073,823; and overlay $74,089.29 for a total tax assessment of $5,602,722.

Deducted from this amount are revenues, including: state revenue sharing $266,647.17; homestead reimbursement $71,452.62; other revenues (local fees, excise tax, etc.) of $1,275,894.97, leaving a net amount of $3,988,667.72 to be raised by local taxes.

Tax collector Pauline Paradis said bills will be mailed Aug. 5 and are due Sept. 4. Bills remaining unpaid after that will be charged 9 percent interest. If not paid by Dec. 31, the taxpayers name and amount due will be published in the annual town report. 

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