ROCKPORT, Maine — Tax bills should be in the mail by the end of next week as the town set a tax rate Tuesday that is up 8 percent from a year ago.
The tax rate was set at $14.05 per $1,000 of property value.
The tax bill for a home assessed at $150,000 will be $159 higher than the previous year when the rate was $12.99.
Taxpayers will receive one tax bill with the option of making two installments, according to a news release from the town. The first payment is due Oct. 15 and the second payment is due April 15. There is a 7 percent interest rate on unpaid taxes after those dates.
The effect of the increased tax rate on residents and businesses will vary, however, because of a revaluation of Rockport properties that began in February and that found the town had been assessing waterfront land well in excess of its market value. The adjustments shaved $41 million off the town’s overall valuation of slightly more than $1 billion. That loss of value contributed to the need to increase the rate.
Owners of some waterfront properties will see their tax bills drop by as much as $10,000 because of the revaluation.
Even with the shift, the town said in July that 72 percent of property owners will pay less in taxes and 9 percent will see no change. The remaining 19 percent of property owners will see some increase.