LEEDS — Selectmen recently set the town’s property tax rate at $10.62 per $1,000 of valuation, an increase of 12 cents over last year.

Jane Wheeler, the town’s administrative assistant, released information indicating that despite a $1,636 decrease in the school portion of the budget, several other factors caused the slight rise in the tax rate, including:

• A $59,765 increase in the municipal appropriation, approved by voters in June.

• A $14,221 increase in the county tax assessment against the town.

• An estimated decrease in state revenue sharing coming to the town of about $38,000.

Wheeler noted that a referendum ballot question coming before voters in November could seriously influence future town budgets. The referendum initiative proposes cutting vehicle excise tax in half and
eliminating the sales tax and first three years of excise tax on the
purchase of a new hybrid vehicle or any other vehicle that gets more
than 40 miles per gallon.

“This would be disastrous to municipalities, as the excise tax monies collected stay in the respective town and are used to reduce the tax commitment to its citizens. In Leeds, the excise tax reduces the commitment by 18 percent, a significant amount,” she said in a statement.