The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners signed the county tax commitment at their meeting May 7, which has increased 2.12 percent over last year’s commitment.
The county’s budget for 2012 is $10,242,428 up $111,218 or about 1.1 percent, and surplus used to offset the amount committed to towns was $433,366, down $106,633.27 or 19.7 percent from last year.
The budget does include a $27,407 increase in estimated revenues for the county, but the net result was a commitment of $8,562,737, an increase of $177,412.34 or 2.12 percent.
Based on the commitment and state valuation – which dropped by over $265 million county-wide this year, the county mil rate increased from about $1.08 per $1000 of valuation to about $1.15.
In an interview later that day, County Administrator John O’Connell said the county has made a very strong effort for the last three years to return as much surplus as possible to the taxpayers to help keep the tax commitment down.
This will be the first time in recent years the county has not put any surplus money toward reserve accounts, O’Connell said.
Last year, the commissioners transferred $135,844.60 of surplus to reserve accounts in addition to $219,900 earmarked for reserves in the budget itself, according to budget documents. That amount was reduced to $209,900 in the budget and $0 from surplus for the current budget.
County tax commitments by town: Alna, $91,500.62, up $4,321.98; Boothbay, $1,096,056.95, up $25,772.34; Boothbay Harbor, $867,276.72, up $36,991.05; Bremen, $235,836.39, down $1938.33; Bristol, $1,224,272.56, down $51,182.94; Damariscotta, $389,523.01, up $5871.90; Dresden, $166,708.97, up $6673.51; Edgecomb, $257,808.02, up $6091.22; Jefferson, $375,812.26, down $1220.43; Monhegan, $104,981.90, down $99.01; Newcastle, $325,960.20, up $14,460.67; Nobleboro, $340,933.03, up $17,607.15; Somerville, $61,554.96, up $3074.21; South Bristol, $762,352.19, up $48,268.53; Southport, $718,810.51, up $11,236.78; Waldoboro, $565,468.09, up $21,781.52; Westport Island, $257,004.88, up $7729.30; Whitefield, $207,783.85, up $5867.93; Wiscasset, $495,709.63, up $15,223.50; Unorganized territories, $17,382.25, down $890.46.
