Milo mil rate set at $28.70

Stuart Hedstrom

Staff Writer

MILO — The board of selectmen gave its approval to a mil rate of $28.70 per every $1,000 in assessed property for 2015 during a July 7 meeting. While this figure is $7.40 more than the previous year’s rate of $21.30, a revaluation of Milo properties brought these values down toward a 100 percent market value and the OKed increase in the mil rate reflects these new lower figures while still funding the municipal expenses.

“I met with Liz Morin (of assessor Hamlin Associates of Parkman) today and we have a couple of options,” Town Clerk Betty Gormley said. She said the possibilities for the 2015 mil rate began at $28.12 and “we can go up to $29.54.” At this range the overlay, which helps cover tax abatements and uncollected taxes that legally can no longer be acquired, would range from $6,600 to $71,000.

Gormley said the recommendation was a mil rate of either $28.50 or $28.70, with the latter figure resulting in an overlay of about $47,000. “(Morin) would be comfortable with either one of those,” Gormley said.

“I am comfortable with going with their recommendation of $28.70,” Select Chair Lee McMannus said before the board approved this rate.

Gormley said she would call Morin the next day to let her know of the selectmen’s decision, “so tax bills should go out this week.”

Earlier in the meeting the board heard from State Rep. Norm Higgins (R-Dover-Foxcroft) for an update from the Statehouse. “One of the big issues was what was going to happen with revenue sharing,” Higgins said.

He said $62.5 million for municipal revenue sharing will be in each of the next two years’ budgets, the same total as was previously included. Higgins said this is important for Milo officials to know as they prepare for the next municipal spending plan.

In education, about $50 million more has been earmarked for general purpose aid Higgins said. He said these funds will be used to keep the mil rate down that towns needed to pay in order to receive state subsidies, instead of an increase to $8.48 from $8.10.

“If not it would have been a $42 million tax for communities,” Higgins said. “That money that goes into schools will help offset that tax increase for towns.”

“The sales tax stayed the same, they didn’t add 100 items onto that,” Higgins said about another action by the legislature.

He said income taxes will be reduced for those making $20,000-$50,000 while increasing for incomes over $175,000. “It’s not going to be major, it’s the beginning,” Higgins said. He explained if income taxes were cut more drastically or eliminated then “you have to pay for things somewhere else or you’re going to have to cut services.”

“I think overall it’s the best we could see here for rural Maine,” Higgins added.

In other business, Interim Town Manager Damien Pickel shared a pair of letters from Dragonz Den Armory owner Brett Kirschbaum expressing his interest in acquiring two properties in town. The first letter concerned six acres at the front of the Eastern Piscataquis Business Park for the start of a multi-use shopping center. McMannus thanked Kirshbaum and said the next step would be for the proposal to be looked at by the planning board.

Kirschbaum’s second letter was about leasing, and eventually purchasing, the building at 21 West Main Street next to the Dragonz Den Armory. “We will take that under advisement Brett, thank you,” McMannus said.

“Thank you for maintaining and cutting the grass over on 21 West Main Street,” Pickel said to Kirschgaum in his town manager’s report.

During an April special town meeting residents voted in favor of enabling the selectmen to accept a $150,000 state grant for a carry-in facility on Maine-owned land in Derby. The grant would include the town providing in-kind matching funds, such as materials and labor to finish the project through the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year.

“There’s not much to say other than it’s not going to happen,” select member Izzy Warren said about the project status.

“All that vote was to give this board permission to explore that process to see if it could move forward,” McMannus said.