Slight rise ahead for Rumford property tax rate

RUMFORD — Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday evening to set the 2018-19 property tax rate at $29.95 per $1,000 of assessed value, an increase of $1.10.

Chairman Chris Brennick said the tax increase on an $80,000 home would be $88 without the Homestead Exemption, and $67.76 with the Homestead Exemption.

Finance Director Deb Laurinaitis recommended the rate during a brief meeting by selectmen and the Board of Assessors. She said a factor in setting the rate is the fund balance policy, which stipulates having a balance of 16.66 percent of operating costs. The new rate will bring the percentage to 16.68.

Brennick said the board will vote on the tax payment dates at their meeting Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Rumford Falls Auditorium.

After the selectmen meeting Tuesday, a special town meeting was held to authorize selectmen to negotiate the terms of sale and sell town land off Route 108, including the vacant Puiia Business Park, and another parcel. The vote was 63-5.

Town Manager Linda-Jean Briggs said the option agreement for the first year is $25,000, which will eventually go toward the purchase price of $400,000.

“If they push the option out to the second year, it’s an additional $20,000, whether they decide to go or not, and that isn’t involved in the purchase price.”

Briggs said the reason for the special town meeting was because “when citizens approved designating that area as a (tax increment financing) district, they didn’t grant the authority to sell the land.”

bfarrin@sunmediagroup.net

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