BY ANDREAS YILMA
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
PROSPECT — The Town Council set the tax rate at 31.92 mills at a June 8 meeting. The rateis a small reduction of 0.03 mills.
One mill equals $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
Town residents previously approved at a May 3 town meeting a $9.7 million budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Residents also approved a bond of up to $900,000 to repair and improve town roads. The town council then approved a motion to table a new mill rate until it heard back from the state about possible funds.
Town Council Chairman Jeffrey Slapikas said town received about $300,000 for Educational Cost Sharing, which was factored in to setting the mill rate.
“This is what the townspeople deserve,” Mayor Robert J. Chatfield said during the special according to meeting minutes. “There are people in this town that are hurting and if we can hold the mill rate or drop it a little bit, it is to their benefit to help them pay their other bills.”
Town Council member Patricia S. Geary echoed Chatfield. “The fact that we are able to present a mill rate three-tenths lower is quite an accomplishment,” Geary said.
Slapikas said he would like to see if the tax rate can be approved more quickly.
“The mayor worked really hard to keep the taxes down for the taxpayers,” Slapikas said.
Residents on May 3 also unanimously approved bonding up to $900,000 for for road maintenance.
The town is planning to change all the basin tops with galvanized basin tops, mill the roads down about an inch and a half, repaving the streets and the fixing the curbing, Chatfield said.
The roads slated for work are Allison Court, Amber Court, Buckley Lane, Chandler Drive, part of Nancy Mae Avenue, the rest of Melissa Lane, two thirds of Maple Drive, all of Peach Orchard Road, part of Merriman Lane, Robindale Drive, the Cambridge Drive subdivision, and the Woodcrest Drive subdivision.
