At their regular meeting Monday noon, Westport Island selectmen set the new tax rate for 2009-10 at 5.42 mils based on a total tax commitment of $1.4 million.
The new tax rate represents a slight increase from the previous fiscal year of 4.94 mils compared to the new rate, which amounts to $5.42 per each $1000 of assessed valuation of private property in town.
The town’s $262.25 million total taxable valuations consists of $260.54 million in taxable real estate valuation and $1.7 million in taxable personal property valuation, according to the town’s assessment report.
The total for all state Homestead Exemption valuation amounts to $3.4 million, which when divided by two amounts to $1.7 million, making the total valuation base $263.96 million.
Appropriations consist of county tax of $232,125, municipal appropriation of $311,742, and school/educational appropriations of $854,834 all totaling $1.39 million.
Allowable deductions included in the town figures amount to a total $31,389 in state municipal revenue sharing.
Under state statute, the maximum allowable tax totals $1.4 million.
Minimum tax rate would be 5.18 mils, and maximum tax rate would be 5.44 mils.
Other business
In other business Monday, selectmen set Fri., July 17 at 11 a.m. as the time for selectmen to meet with a state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) official to inspect the Baker Road situation.
Albert Greenleaf allegedly has placed rocks, boat and gravel along Baker Rd. near his property on the road altering the configuration of the road from what it has been.
Greenleaf contends the original path of the road differs from the most recent direction of the road and has early photographs to show where it went in the past, according to selectmen.
The board has given Greenleaf until this Thursday to remove the blockage along one side of the road. If not removed by then, the DEP and possibly selectmen will decide what steps to take next to get the obstruction removed.
Third Selectman Ross Norton alleges Greenleaf has moved the stakes the town put there as a demarcation of where the road was before Greenleaf tried to move it with all the obstructions.
The board also spoke about a meeting Mon., July 2 at 11 a.m. with Pine Tree Engineering on specs for the Ferry Road widening project.
On the existing hazardous waste situation on Bay View Drive, selectman scheduled a meeting for 8:30 a.m. on Wed., July 22 with the town’s code enforcement officer and William Butler from the DEP at the property of Joe Huggins, where the owner has placed refrigerators, auto transmissions, and gas tanks.
Selectmen believe Huggins is in violation of state hazardous waste codes, and they expressed the hope the state would take action to protect the area from toxic chemical contamination.
Apparently Huggins tried to start a recycling business, which did not work out, according to Norton.
A meeting will he held this coming Monday at 7 p.m. to discuss renewal of the building permit for the concrete ramp and pier for the proposed public water access project followed by a selectmen’s site visit on the following Mon., July 27 at 11 a.m. regarding the ramp and float.
