OTISFIELD — The town’s mill rate for the 2017-18 fiscal year will increase 6.3 percent, or 85 cents, from the previous year, Chairman Hal Ferguson said.

The tax rate would increase from $13.40 per $1,000 of valuation to $14.25, he said.

The increase in the town’s mill rate was “not the town’s fault” and could be attributed to an increase in the School Administrative District 17 budget and an increase in the state’s Homestead Exemption, he said. 

“Our municipal budget actually went down $2,000 this year,” Ferguson said. “If it was just the town involved in setting the rate, we’d be flat this year.”

Otisfield’s share of the SAD 17 budget went up $141,000, and Homestead Exemption went up from $15,000 to $20,000, which cost the town $2 million, though some of that will be reimbursed from the state, Ferguson said.

Selectman Rick Micklon said that the 6.3 percent increase was the “lowest possible option” presented to them by the auditor.

“We decided to go with it because we’re probably in the best financial situation we’ve ever been in,” Micklon said. 

In other business, Otisfield Administrative Assistant Anne Pastore told selectmen that they should consider getting a quote for servicing the vaults in the Otisfield Town Office building.

“A new gentleman named John Fecteau moved to town, and he works for Portland Safe,” Pastore said. “He said that we should have the vault doors on our upstairs and downstairs vault service on occasion. He said that it would take more than WD-40 to fix, since the little pins in the doors can get stuck.

Pastore said that if the pins get stuck, the door would need to be drilled to get it open. 

“How much money are we talking?” Ferguson asked. “Hundreds of dollars or thousands of dollars?”

Pastore said the cost may not even exceed $100 and that selectmen should look into it and get a quote. 

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net

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