PARIS — Oxford County taxpayers will be paying the county more in 2012. The county budget passed Tuesday night will mean a 5.8 percent hike in tax dollars needed.

County Administrator Scott Cole said the actual tax hike will vary by town, as property valuations change from year to year.

The $5,733,977 budget works out to a 1.75 percent increase in spending. However, non-tax revenues such as grants dropped this year, meaning more of the county’s expenses must come from taxes. In the 2011 budget, the tax levy was $4.95 million. For 2012, it will be $5.24 million.

Cole said property valuations dropped countywide this year, meaning most taxpayers will see an even higher mill rate increase. “There’s less value to spread the burden over,” Cole said.

Commissioners had tried to keep expenses flat for the 2012 budget, but the Budget Committee voted for a figure closer to what departments requested. Cole said the commissioners’ budget would have raised taxes 3.83 percent.

“We were still looking at an increase in the levy, but not in the expenses,” Cole said.

He said that while employees’ wages were frozen, labor agreements meant costs for employee benefits would rise regardless.

The final budget is $309,111 more than the statutory tax levy limit. The committee had to vote to override the levy limit to pass the budget on Tuesday.

According to Cole, the county adds an overlay of about 2 percent to make up for losses, so the actual tax hike will be about 6 percent.

treaves@sunjournal.com

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