Gorham’s budget, which was passed last week, will increase the town’s tax rate by about 1 percent.
Gorham Town Manager David Cole said Monday that the estimated tax rate would be $19.72 per $1,000 of assessed value, up 22 cents over the present $19.50, or a 1.1 percent increase. “Not a bad outcome,” Cole said.
The property tax for a Gorham home valued at $150,000 would go up by $33.
The Gorham Town Council passed a $39.3 million budget last week that combines a $10.9 million municipal budget with a $27.6 million school budget. The school budget represents 70.3 percent of Gorham’s entire budget.
The school department had requested $28 million, a 7.2 percent increase over last year.
But the council amended the budget, approving $11.7 million as the amount to be raised by Gorham property taxes for the schools. That was a $200,000 increase over last year, but was down approximately $324,000 from the amount requested by the school department.
“We’re anxious to keep the tax rate steady,” Town Councilor Burleigh Loveitt said.
Town Councilor Matt Robinson said the school budget still represented a 6.2 percent increase over last year. “I would like to see another $300,000 cut off this,” Robinson said. “Let’s remember where the state gets its money. They don’t have a money tree.”
The municipal budget was up 5.2 percent over last year. The new debt approved by voters last year in a referendum to reconstruct Brackett Road and a portion of Libby Avenue upped the tax rate by 17 cents.
There was no public comment on the budget.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
