Bremen’s mil rate is going up $1.50 per $1,000 valuation this year, an increase of about 14 percent over 2014, according to town documentation.
The Bremen Board of Assessors committed the taxes July 23 and set the mil rate at 12.1 mils, or $12.10 in taxes for every $1,000 in valuation.
The tax rate was based on a net assessment of $2,103,536.60.
The town’s assessments include $1,208,608 for the local share of education, $881,308 for the municipal appropriation, $243,662 for the town’s county tax, and $88,282.68 in overlay funds, but the assessment was reduced by a total of $318,324.08 in deductions for municipal revenue sharing, homestead exemption reimbursements, and other revenue, such as funds appropriated from surplus.
Voters approved appropriating $110,000 from the town’s undesignated funds for lowering taxes at a special town meeting July 2.
According to Hank Nevins, one of the town’s selectmen and assessors, the mil rate increase is largely due to increases in education costs for the town.
Bremen’s biggest hit came via the Great Salt Bay Consolidated School District budget, where Bremen’s share increased $188,905 or 28.52 percent to $851,299 for the 2015-2016 school year, according to The Lincoln County News archives.
The overall district budget increased only $80,143, or 1.46 percent.
The district towns’ share of the K-8 student population determines their percentage of the budget after accounting for other revenue sources such as state subsidy and tuition, according to the archives.
Bremen’s K-8 population grew from about 13 percent of the district to about 18 percent, according to Nevins.
The mil rate, while up, is still lower than the 12.5 mils set in 2010. Recent mil rates for the town were: 11.8 in 2011, 11.3 in 2012, 10.7 in 2013, and 10.6 in 2014, according to town documentation.
