WOODLAND, Maine — Selectmen held a special meeting at 12:30 p.m. Monday to set the annual mill rate, which increases by 1.5 mills from last year to 21.25.
Selectman William Barnum was not present for the meeting, but the other members, Carl Grant and Tom Drew, agreed to set the annual tax commitment.
Woodland Tax Collector Amber Moutinho recommended the mill rate after also recommending setting aside $15,000 in the overlay account for unexpected expenditures.
In addition, the town saw a $58,721 increase in the municipal budget and a $126,676 increase in the school budget this year. However, the state’s homestead exemption reimbursements jumped up from 50 to 62.5 percent, offsetting what would have been a larger local increase in taxes.
Drew said that, “in this world,” the town’s 2018 mill rate “is pretty good,” considering the $15,000 overlay.
Moutinho agreed, adding that it’s lower than what town officials originally projected before the homestead exemption reimbursement increase.
“I don’t even want to talk about where I thought we’d be,” Drew said just before he and Grant voted in favor of setting the rate at $21.25 per $1,000 of property value.
