Information from the 2023-24 Tax Commitment
| John Salisbury |
The 2023-24 New Gloucester tax commitment provides a wealth of information about the Town. The commitment amounts to a snapshot taken once each year of property holdings, valuations, tax exemptions and other information across the community.
The tax commitment includes landowners that do not pay taxes, like churches, nonprofits and the Town of New Gloucester itself, and also shows acreage in Tree Growth, for example, that is taxed as productive woodland rather than at its higher fair market value.
Bulleted below are a series of facts gleaned from the most recent tax commitment, with particular emphasis on the Sabbathday Lake area because of its role in the Town’s property and tax mix.
Town-wide Assessment Information
- The total assessed value (assessed value of land plus buildings) is $686 million.
- The total net assessment (assessed value of land plus buildings minus homestead and veterans exemptions) of the Town of New Gloucester is $625.7 million
- The largest net assessments in New Gloucester are Pineland at $12.7 million and Central Maine Power at $9.7 million
- Total of tax exemptions: $60.6 million (homestead $28.7 million; homestead/veterans $2.7; other $29.2)
- There are a total of 1,272 homestead exemptions and 97 homestead/veterans’ exemptions
- Exemptions represent 9% of the total assessed value of New Gloucester’s land and buildings assessment.
Town-wide Property Holdings
- Total acreage in New Gloucester is 28,637 acres
- Largest property owner in New Gloucester: Small Woodlands Association of Maine: 2,082 total acres
- Second largest property owner: United Society of Shakers own 1,386 total acres (Note: this is less than the acreage noted in the Shakers Conservation Lease)
- Royal River Conservation Trust: 521 acres
- There are 14 parcels in New Gloucester with more than 200 acres in size
- There are 42 parcels greater than 100 acres
Sabbathday Lake Assessment Information
- There are 309 acres of assessed land on Sabbathday Lake valued at $27.2 million.
- Property values on Sabbathday Lake represent 8% of the total real estate value of New Gloucester, $48.3 million of total town valuation of $625.7 million
- There are 203 lots on Sabbathday Lake
- 9 properties on the Lake have a net assessment more than $500,000
- 23 properties a net assessment of more than $400,000
- 33 properties have a net assessment of more than $300,000
- $1.7 million is the assessment of the highest individual owner net assessment
- $245,000+ is the average net assessment of all lake property owners
- The property tax exemptions of persons who are permanent residents on the Lake represent 3% of the total Sabbathday Lake assessed values
- The Shakers’ Conservation Easement includes approximately 5,000 feet – nearly a mile – of shoreline on the northeast side of Sabbathday Lake, 19 percent of the total.
The 2023-24 tax commitment spreadsheet and tax maps are available on the Town of New Gloucester website under the “Departments” drop-down menu.
The tax commitment can be found at this direct link: 2023-2024 New Gloucester Tax Commitment – Tax Commitments – New Gloucester, Maine
The goal of this article is to help all New Gloucester residents become better informed about the Town. Data in the tax commitment can be invaluable both for shaping Town policies and decision-making and for gaining a clear and accurate picture of the Town.
