The towns of Castle Hill, Chapman and Mapleton are going ahead with rates for their property taxes despite the unsettled school district budget that makes up the bulk of their costs.
The 2016 tax bills for the three towns, which share a municipal government, were sent out the first week of August. Mapleton’s 2016 mill rate was set at 15.7, Castle Hill’s at 15.3 and Chapman’s at 14.3.
Presque Isle, meanwhile, has opted to delay finalizing a mill rate pending the outcome of the Maine School Administrative District 1 budget, which has been twice rejected by voters in the five communities and will appear again in September.
Jon Frederick, town manager for Castle Hill, Chapman and Mapleton, said they decided to go ahead and set mill rates, using the most recent iteration of the SAD 1 budget, following a process in state law. SAD 1 represents more than 75 percent of the property taxes for residents in the three towns.
If the school district ends up with a budget with less spending and impact to property taxes, as is likely, additional money beyond that would be used to pay for next year’s school district shares, Frederick said. “Any overage that is received by way of the taxes allocated for education will be for the next year’s school assessment.”
