Canton selectmen meet Monday night at the Town Office where they set the property tax rate at $20.75 per $1,000 of property value, a $1.50 increase from last year. From left are Shawn Goodrow, Carole Robbins, Chairperson Brian Keene, Michelle Larrivee and Christine Carrigan. Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times

CANTON — Selectmen voted to Monday to set the 2024-25 property tax rate at $20.75 per $1,000 of property valuation, an increase of $1.50 from last year.

The board also approved taking $100,000 from the undesignated fund balance to offset taxes. The fund had nearly $1.05 million as of Sept. 30, Treasurer Patricia Patnaude told selectmen.

Regarding setting the tax rate, Chairman Brian Keene said the increase in state property valuations and “the forecasting for our school budget isn’t going to be pretty.”

“We just also received a letter from our insurance company telling us that our health insurance was going to be going up,” he said.

Selectwoman Carole Robbins said the higher tax rate is necessary. “The sad reality is it has to go up some this year; I mean, (we) don’t have a choice.”

Selectwoman Michelle Larrivee said she didn’t want to set the town and residents up for failure by taking out too much money from the undesignated fund balance now, then in the future “everybody’s going to have to pay skyrocketed taxes” when the town has less of a fund balance to supplement the tax rate.

In other business, selectmen said there will be an informational meeting with representatives from the Center for an Ecology-Based Economy on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Town Office meeting room.

At a board meeting in August, Center representative Claire Emrick said she will explain the state’s Community Resilience Partnership program that provides grants and technical assistance to help towns reduce energy use.

A second meeting with CEBE representatives and townspeople is scheduled for Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. at the Town Office meeting room.

In other news, selectmen rescheduled a public hearing to approve state General Assistance guidelines Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. The hearing will be in the meeting room at the Town Office.

During a board meeting in September, Town Clerk Kathy Walker said the state has updated its General Assistance guidelines and recommends the town hold a public hearing on the changes.

Also on Monday, selectmen decided the town’s Haunted Walk on Whitney Brook Trail will be held Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. and the Halloween Trunk or Treat celebration is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 26 at the boat launch off Staples Hill Road.