Claremont
The municipal rate fell 11 cents to $14.86, which is in line with the projected 13 cent-decrease when the $17 million budget passed last June. The county rate dropped 9 cents to $2.86 and the state education rate fell 10 cents to $2.42. But the total decrease of 30 cents for those rates was more than cancelled out by a $1.45 increase in the local education rate. When the budget and separate warrant articles were presented to voters at last February’s deliberative session, the estimated tax rate impact if all articles passed was a 52 cent per $1,000 increase.
Voters passed a $34.1 million school budget, three contracts and $121,000 for security upgrades.
SAU 6 Business Manager Mike O’Neill explained on Wednesday that the tax impact for the budget and warrant articles was accurate — 52 cents — but the other side of the equation — lower revenues — is what caused the rate to go up more than estimated.
A big chunk, 51 cents, was caused by a $437,000 decrease in adequacy aid as the state reduces the “stabilization grant” for every school district a little bit each year. The other two large revenues losses were the result of the day care at the Sugar River Technical Center closing, $170,000, and the lack of an available fund balance, which at the end of last fiscal year was $218,000. The expenses for the day care won’t be spent but they cannot be backed out of the appropriations, O’Neill said.
The city’s grand list rose about $10 million to $694 million and the two big drivers of that increase were the new Cumberland Farm stores and Jewell Transport’s new facility.
The city clerk expects to mail quarterly bills by Friday and they would be due Jan. 3, at the earliest.
