The Select Board will set the tax rate for the coming year at their August 19 meeting. Also on the agenda are awarding the contract to install a septic system for bathrooms at the Fairgrounds and considering draft bid documents to construct the Fairgrounds bathroom and storage building.
The meeting will convene at 7 p.m. at the Meetinghouse and will be live-streamed at this link.
Mil rate for FY25. The board will meet as town assessors to set the mil rate and complete the tax commitment for FY25. Tax rate calculation sheets prepared by the town’s assessors’ agent John E. O’Donnell & Associates have a proposed rate of $14.89 per thousand of valuation, an increase of 60 cents over the current mil rate of $14.29 per thousand.
For a home assessed at the $350,000 median value, the increase translates to an additional $210 in property taxes.
On the O’Donnell tax worksheets, the FY25 municipal appropriation comes in at $6,959,802. Last year’s comparable figure was $6,173,476. New Gloucester’s share of the FY25 school budget is given as $6,525,178, up from the $6,169,685 of last year’s tax computation.
Also of note on the O’Donnell worksheets, New Gloucester’s total real estate valuation for FY25 is pegged at $637,147,663, an increase of $11.4 million in value over the comparable figure used last year. Once personal property revenues are included–apparently less is expected in FY25–the tax base is estimated to increase by more than $10.2 million. That means a larger pie and smaller slices for each property owner’s share of the budget.
Also up for FY25 is the amount New Gloucester expects to receive as non-property tax revenues, more than $580,000 more than in last year’s tax computation. Also up is the estimate of what’s coming from Augusta as municipal revenue sharing: $800,000 compared with the $700,000 used last year.
Find the tax-related documents at pp.5-6 of the agenda packet.
Also on the August 19 agenda:
— Next steps for permanent bathrooms at the Fairgrounds. The board has a memo from staff analyzing recent bids for the septic work for the bathrooms. Read the rundown and staff recommendation for award at pp.7-9. Also on the agenda is an RFP for design drawings for construction of the restroom/storage building, including plumbing, electrical and associated work. Find the RFP with details at pp.36-42.
— A catering license request for Brickyard Hollow Brewing to serve beer at the 250th celebration on September 7 (pp.27-33) and a liquor license renewal for Norumbega Cidery (pp.10-26).
— Revisions to the Liaison Policy. The policy describes the number and role of Select Board members serving as liaisons to town committees and boards and other groups. The policy was last updated in 2019 and doesn’t reflect changes in committee names, charges and other details. Read the mark-up at pp.53-64.
Find the full August 19, 2024, agenda and related documents at this link.
Public comments may be submitted by email before 10 a.m. on Monday, August 19, to townmanager@newgloucester.com and smyers@newgloucester.com. If you want your written comment read aloud, please indicate that in the subject line.
Find contact information for Select Board members and links to meeting agendas, minutes and related documents at this link.
— Joanne Cole
NGX editor’s note: The article has been updated to clarify that the Fairgrounds bathroom/storage building RFP is for design drawings.
