MILLINOCKET, Maine – Property taxes will rise eight-tenths of a mill to 26.4 mills under a new tax rate town leaders have approved, officials said Wednesday.
The Town Council accepted Tax Assessor Michael Noble’s new property tax rate and voted 7-0 to set property tax due dates of Nov. 21, 2012, and April 20, 2013, according to the meeting minutes. Council Chairman John Davis did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Wednesday.
Interim Town Manager Charles Pray and Councilor Michael Madore echoed on Wednesday Noble’s report, which said the town continues to lose value every year and the loss is not being offset by much economic growth.
“We have been lucky for the last five years to hold the line on taxes as much as we have. It is a slight increase,” Madore said Wednesday. “I hope it doesn’t hurt anybody too bad, but I think it was inevitable.”
“The cost of everything else is going up. Our costs to operate the town government are going up. It is only common sense that you will see an increase,” Madore added.
The town has seen some economic growth to offset property losses in value. Tractor Supply Co. opened a store at the shopping plaza off Route 11 in early September, and that will impact the town’s value more significantly next year.
A Cate Street Capital subsidiary has begun site preparation work for a $48 million torrefied wood facility, the first in New England, with plans to finish construction by fall. A biomass boiler is also being installed at Millinocket Regional Hospital, Madore said.
But much of the town’s tax future will be determined, Madore said, by the election of town officials on Nov. 6, the selection of a new town manager early next year, “and what we have for a plan” to meet future tax needs.
“The cost of everything is going up”. Good thing the property owners costs are staying the same. Good thing their gas and groceries are not going up, while their paychecks go down. Good thing.
Ayuh
Time to make some much needed cuts in the town government and school system. When will the clowns running our town realize that their anti-tourism, anti economic development stance serves to sustain the blood loss that this town has experienced for the past 12 years. Raising taxes is not the answer. It’s time to eliminate full time positions and cut services. Someone seriously needs to consider consolidation. These bozos of the good ol 70’s who sit around and think that Millinocket will return to it’s former glory are still smoking dope and delusional.
Well, that was wonderful! There will still be no Park for you..
Hahaha, Good one DJOJ !! NO PARK FOR ME !!
Consolidate what? East and Medway totally refuse to do that, Millinocket has bent over backwards. They have cut the workforce significantly. They are not anti-tourism, look at the atv trail and what they have done with that (though I disagreed with it). The only thing they are is anti-Quimby and anti-park.I certainly have no love loss for some of there cuts. What do would you like one cop, and one plow truck?
Millinocket did not bend over backwards for the consolidation. There was no benefit for the consolidation other than sports. The costs for East and Medway would go up. UMaine did a study and out of the area high schools, Schenck had the highest number of students graduating from college.
Millinocket did so, there seem to be so much animosity in especially Medway and their school board their was no way they wanted consolidation. The mere fact is if East and Medway had worked with Millinocket instead of discounting consolidation they culd of worked together to have one of the best schools ( not just in sports). The attitude wasn’t about education it was about sending kids to Millinocket. Especially the head of the Medway school board, Millinocket tried on several ocassions to work with East/Medway. The cost would of probably gone up in Medway since they would be paying their fair share, Millinocket probably would of been the one it would of cost. It is about time the system down their got their heads out of the sand.
Exactly how did the bend over backwards? They wouldn’t take Schenck’s high school teachers(because they didn’t want to pay the higher rate at their own schools). It wasn’t about sending them to Millinocket for Medway. It was about sending them on a bus that could take some students over an hour to get to Millinocket. East and Medway seem to be doing fine now that the new contract was signed, after the pressure form the East board and Medway citizens. The system is fine in East, Millinocket needs to learn how to cut like East did and realize that the MILL is not going to start up.
Milinocket would have to send their kids to Schenck for Middle school. I believe the teachers would of gone seniority and they would of work out the pay. We will see one Schenck and Medway figure the cost to fix the schools. It seems both are in for some extensive repairs espcecially Schenck. One complaint was Millinocket spending money. Now we see in upkeep Millinocket has been pacing itself. Did I hear that the total amount to repair Schenck was upwards of 7 million total (to fix everything). If consildation had happened that cost would of been spread. Also one complaint from East and Medway was Millinockets’s loans on schools, which Millinocket would of taken. What will Medway’s tax rate when and if they put money into their schools, and also the cost when they decide to fix Schenck. In all the talks to Medway residents, I didn’t hear about the time, all I heard was “no way they were sending their kids to Stearns.
Millinocket, Maine The highest mil rate in the state of Maine. and for what?
Wow, I would get out of there if I were you.
I do not think so.
“What do would you like one cop, and one plow truck?” That’s a start. Tell me do you think that we are we getting our moneys worth? I think not.
That is a little ludicrousl don’t you think? In the last 30 years Public Works has gone from 20-30 to probably about 6-8 if you count the director.
“The cost of everything else is going up. Our costs to operate the town government are going up. It is only common sense that you will see an increase,” Madore added.” No! Common sense should tell you that no one is working in this town and the majority are on a fixed income. Common sense should tell you that people are moving away from millinocket and the population is shrinking meaning less tax dollars. Common sense should tell you anything BUT to raise taxes on those who cannot afford another tax increase! 26.4! is attrocious! look around this country and look around this state to see what other towns are doing. It’s time to scale back! ya think?
“… with plans to finish construction by fall”? Unless they meant next fall, they’ve already missed that target rather badly.
Do you think you could get some yellow paint and paint the line on the street behind the IGA?Do you think you can keep Poplar street hill sanded before someone gets killed?I doubt it
Time to not buy new police cruiser
You want to ride one of the older ones around, or to Bangor I think not. In the past and now sometimes they live dangerously. I an see them chasing someone and a cruiser going out of control. They set money aside each year to buy them on a rotating basis.
They only patrol a small town not big hi way speed chases town is only 5 miles around
Tell me that when you need a police officer, and he coming and a wheel falls off. That is not far from the truth either.
Taxes go up cause they still buy new police cruiser and a new fire truck in December .we don’t need new equipment just to say we have it
We may have lost Gene, but no matter how it plays out, Quimby will “”never”” get her park… :-P
Broken record…smoke another doobie
Broken record?? Go back and read your own comments.
It’s the actions of Ol Quimby and her mindless supporters that keeps the opposition alive…!