Taxes on the rise

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Despite the town council’s best effort to keep spending down, taxes are on the rise in Houlton.
    Tax bills were sent out to residents this past week, featuring a mill rate of $19.95 per $1,000 of assessed value. According to Nedra Hanson, town treasurer, the rate is a one mill increase over the previous year. For the average home valued at $90,000, taxpayers will see an increase of $90 on their bills.
    Councilors do not directly set the town’s mill rate, Hanson said. Rather it is the assessor that sets the rate. Taxes are due Oct. 15. The town of Houlton does not offer any discounts for paying taxes early, as some towns do.
    “If you do that, you just have to make it up by taxing more,” Hanson said.
    During Monday evening’s council meeting, resident Phil Bernaiche spoke to the board about the tax bills.
    “I was blessed today (with a tax bill) from all you people that run our town,” Bernaiche said. “I’m blessed so much that I am going to owe more money.”
    Bernaiche said SAD 29 was to blame “for a lot of our problems” but the blame was not solely on the school for the take hike, in his opinion.
    “You’ve got to slow down,” he said. “You can’t keep buying things and giving people raises. People are going hungry and it’s happening in Houlton. You have the power to not be so generous (with raises) so people will have a chance.”