RANGELEY – Residents will be asked to reconsider increasing the municipality’s property tax levy limit, referred to as LD 1, by $218,895 during an open-style special town meeting.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 29, at Rangeley Lakes Regional School.

Voters rejected the article during the first annual town meeting held in referendum format on June 13 at the polls by a vote of 160-184.

Voters approved the articles and money attached to them on the town meeting warrant but did not approve using the money, Town Manager Tim Pellerin said.

People may not have understood the article, he said.

The majority of other municipal-related articles passed by a wide-margin, according to the voting results.

According to the 2016 Town Report: The Municipal Property Tax Levy Limit regulates the amount of money that municipalities can raise through property tax. It applies only to property taxes used for municipal operations (road maintenance, libraries, Parks and Recreation, etc.). It does not apply to property taxes raised for schools, counties, tax-increment financing agreements or the overlay.

The limit allows a municipality to increase property taxes, but only by an amount equal to the growth of statewide personal income plus local property development within the municipality. The limit is adjusted downward if a municipality receives extra money from the state that it can use instead of property taxes.

If the tax levy articles passes, voters will be asked to reconsider the Culture article for $66,879, Pellerin said. The expense article failed by 12 votes, at 171-183. If the tax levy question fails, voters will not be asked to reconsider the Culture article, he said.

Contained in that article is:

*$550: Veterans monument;

*$9,800: Christmas tree lighting, holiday lights, new wreaths for the downtown area;

*$7,000: Monday, July 3, fireworks;

*5,000: Rangeley Region Health appointment transportation van;

*$1,500: American flags that hang on utility poles downtown, town buildings, and put on veterans’ graves; and

*$43,029: Rangeley Public Library.

The net budget, which factors in revenue, that was approved June 13 for municipal government is $2.94 million, not including money for the Culture article, town Finance Director Rebekah Carmichael said.

If the Culture article passes, the approved net municipal budget is $3.01 million.

These budget numbers do not include the town’s share of the Regional School Unit 78 budget or county taxes.

Last year, voters decided to try voting on all town-related articles by secret ballot or referendum. This year, they voted 252-91 to continue the process next year.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

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