RUTLAND — The Select Board voted to assign a single tax rate to property in town at its Nov. 28 meeting.
Amy Evanowski, associate assessor, said the tax to be raised by the fiscal use property tax levy in fiscal 2023 is $19,188,165, a 4.6 percent increase over last year. The recommended tax rate is $13.72 per thousand.
The average home value this year is $419,830, bringing the average tax bill to $5,760, or a $240 increase over
last year. Last year’s tax rate was $15.79 per thousand on an average home value of $349,540.
The excess levy capacity — the difference between the amount being levied and the actual limit — is just over $8,000, Evanowski said.
New growth revenues (such as new properties, additions and renovations) have been tabulated at $491,734, she said.
Residential properties represent about 95 percent of the taxable property in town, with commercial, industrial and personal property at about 5 percent.
“We just don’t have enough
commercial (properties) in town to split the tax rate,” Evanowski said. “So the Board of Assessors recommends that we adopt a single tax rate to be applied to all properties.”
Select Board members concurred. Also at the meeting, the board voted to grant a temporary right of way to a resident on Christmas Tree Lane to access town-owned land in order to construct a retaining wall on his property.
Interim town manager Gary Kellaher said there were to be no alterations or damages to the town property and the property has to be returned to “as close as present
conditions as possible.”
The Department of Public Works will oversee the conditions, he said.
The lot in question used to be a gigantic beaver pond, Kellaher said, but the town should hold onto it in case it is ever needed as walking trails or something similar.
The board also scheduled Dec. 1 interviews with search firms Community Paradigm Associates LLC and Municipal Resources Inc. to assist in the search for a town administrator.
After the interviews, the board voted to contract with Community Paradigm Associates.
