Arlington VT tax rate to climb by four cents
ARLINGTON — While the town’s portion of the new tax rate is down half a cent, taxpayers will see their rates go up by about 4 cents in total.
The Select Board voted Monday to set the municipal tax rate at 28 cents per $100 of property valuation. The homestead education tax rate was set at $1.4872, while the nonresidential tax rate was set at $1.4580.
While the town’s tax rate is based on what it needs to raise to meet the budget, the other two numbers are largely set by the state and are created by using a formula that involves the cost per pupil in the school and the town’s common level of appraisal.
The town’s common level of appraisal stands at 92.59 percent. The figure is applied to the grand list to cover discrepancies between the list and what homes are selling for. Board member Lawrence Molloy said the town should examine its options for reappraisal or partial reappraisal, as it is one of the few factors in the education tax rate the board can control.
To calculate what a person’s property tax bill will be, the municipal rate is added to the state rate and charged per $100 of the property’s assessed value. On a $100,000 home, a person paying the homestead rate would be billed $1,768, a $36 increase over last year.
In 2009, the homestead education tax rate was set at $1.4465, while the nonresidential tax rate was set at $1.4428.
Despite the Arlington School District’s budget being down 3.8 percent from last year, the tax rate has gone up largely because of the cost per pupil. Select Board member Cynthia Browning said the state factors such things into its calculations.
Reprinted with permission from The Bennington Banner, KEITH WHITCOMB JR.
