INDUSTRY – Resident Bob Burton is tired of paying high property taxes so he’s organizing a drive to change the configuration of his little lakefront town.
Burton, also a town historian, said Friday that Industry is comprised of two small villages, West Mills and Allens Mills. He theorizes that separating the villages into two towns with separate governments would benefit residents of both. He suggests a division of the towns somewhere between Route 148 and Clearwater Pond, leaving West Mills to the east and Allens Mills on the water.
He said Allens Mills attracts people who are building homes worth up to $700,000 along the edge of Clearwater Pond.
With a population of about 790, most of the 157 schoolchildren in Industry live in the West Mills region, he argues. With the state’s new educational funding formula based on valuation and student population, Allens Mills stands to benefit from a decrease in students while West Mills, without waterfront property, would win from a reduction in valuation.
Furthermore, with a lower valuation, West Mills would be eligible for community grants that the town isn’t currently able to obtain.
Another option under consideration is de-organizing the town, but Burton feels that this approach is a long shot since the Legislature recently turned down the application of several towns to de-organize.
“People on the lake are getting killed,” he said referring to property taxes. An older resident told him that her taxes have escalated to three times what she paid for her house and that she will not be able to live there much longer.
“I’ve seen people who have lived in the town their whole lives in tears because they can’t afford to stay,” he said.
Burton encourages people to attend a meeting Saturday to discuss the possibilities.
“People deserve the type of government they elect, whether it’s state or local,” he said.
The group intends to have at least two other meetings, which will be in May and June, he added.
Phone calls to all three Industry selectmen were not returned Friday.
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