ETNA, Maine — Some taxpayers here received surprising news in the mail this week when their tax bills came more than 40 percent higher than last year.
Town Manager Evelyn Serval said that in the past few days as residents have received their bills, she has answered numerous calls from “people complaining about their assessments.”
Serval said Thursday that she is urging them to attend selectmen’s meetings, the next of which is scheduled for Oct. 19.
The town’s tax rate went from $11.45 per $1,000 of valuation last year to $16.20 per $1,000 of valuation this year. That means taxes on homes valued by the town at $100,000 have jumped from $1,145 in 2008 to $1,620 this year for an increase of about 41 percent.
“I understand why people are upset,” said Serval. “The reaction has been negative, obviously.”
Most of the tax increase is due to two decisions made at town meetings, said Serval. Two years ago, voters decided to stop applying end-of-year surplus funds toward reducing the tax rate. This is the first budget year under the full effect of that change, which translated to a $133,000 jump in the amount to be raised from taxes.
Serval said the change was meant to create a cushion in the operating budget for unanticipated expenses. Not having that cushion forces budget lines upward when in all probability they might not need to increase, said Serval.
“I certainly hope we don’t apply our surplus to the tax rate anymore,” said Serval. “You can’t operate that way.”
The other major change was a decision at the March town meeting to raise $150,000 in the capital expense budget for road projects, said Serval. There was no funding for capital road projects in the 2008 budget.
Etna’s $1.2 million budget, which includes schools and county government, is $160,463 higher than last year, an increase of 15.58 percent.
Selectwoman Lisa Krahn said this tax increase was inevitable.
“We really haven’t had a realistic budget for several years,” she said. “We’re trying to catch up and not have our roads completely deteriorate. The only way to do that is with money.”
Selectman Fredrick Treadwell declined to answer questions from the Bangor Daily News because he said he doesn’t discuss town business “outside the selectmen’s meetings.”
An Etna taxpayer who contacted the BDN but refused to be identified in print said he and others plan to voice their displeasure at the Oct. 19 selectmen’s meeting.
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