Property owners in Farmington will soon receive their tax bills following a major revaluation that roughly doubled the town’s overall valuation, prompting the Select Board on Oct. 14 to set the 2025 tax rate at $9.81 per $1,000 of value, less than half of last year’s rate.

Town Manager Erica LaCroix said she understands the alarm many residents felt when they saw their updated property assessments.

“There’s a lot of people alarmed by their property values,” she said. “But I will again remind everyone that since all properties increased significantly, this doesn’t necessarily equate to an increase in your tax bills.”

The revaluation, completed Sept. 29 by KRT Appraisal, was the town’s first in more than two decades. LaCroix explained that such a long gap between revaluations caused unequal assessments and distorted fairness between taxpayers.

“It’s been over 20 years, probably closer to 25 or 30, since the last revaluation,” she said. “Had we been doing it all along, we wouldn’t have seen this type of increase. The failure to do the 10-year reval is why we’re seeing dramatic increases now.”

LaCroix said the town’s annual budget for 2025 is 3% higher than 2024, meaning most taxpayers will see increases close to that amount.

“If your property went up a whole lot more, you were probably undervalued before,” she said. “If it doesn’t go up that much, you were probably paying more than your fair share in the past.”

She also reminded residents that valuation letters did not include exemptions, such as homestead, veteran and tree growth.

“Those will come through with your actual tax bills,” she said, urging patience until bills arrive next week.

“When property values go up, the mill rate goes down,” LaCroix said. “That’s how the system keeps things fair. The town can’t collect more than what voters approved at town meeting.”

According to KRT, commercial properties were previously undervalued more than residential, which may shift a portion of the tax burden away from homeowners.

LaCroix concluded with reassurance for those worried about large jumps in their bills.

“I understand your fears,” she said. “But I really request that everybody just hold their horses until we see what the tax bills actually say. I think most of you are going to find it nowhere near as dramatic as you think.”

During the meeting, LaCroix also recognized former selectman and volunteer firefighter Stephan Bunker, who received the 2025 Ethel M. Kelley Award from the Maine Municipal Association. The award honors a lifetime of dedicated and selfless public service. LaCroix said Bunker exemplifies those qualities and is “richly deserving” of the recognition.