EASTON, Maine — While portions of Easton’s budget increased a bit this year, new construction and associated tax assessments will likely keep the town’s mill rate where it is, said town manager Jim Gardner.
About 35 Easton residents attended the April 2 town meeting to approve the budget, Gardner said.
The town’s budget increased by about $84,000 this year to $1,200,547, Gardner said, adding that about $50,000 of that increase will boost the town’s road improvement account from $150,000 to $200,000, and the remaining $34,000 is due in large part to rising fuel costs.
And although the county government’s budget also increased, Gardner said Easton taxpayers will probably have a flat mill rate this year, at $17.4 per $1,000 of property value.
“We don’t think our budget will touch our mill rate. The school district is looking to be flat,” Gardner said. “We’ll stay at 17.4. We want to be, if not the lowest, one of the lowest in The County.”
New tax revenue coming from new homes and construction at the town’s two factories should cover the increase from the county government and additional local spending, said the town manager. In addition, Easton has several new housing developments in the works on town-owned land and expects to see new residents as a result.
On the municipal spending side, Gardner said the town increased its road improvement fund to help keep roadways in good condition.
“Roads aren’t getting any cheaper, that’s for sure,” he said. “We don’t just paint roads, We actually reconstruct the road, culverts and everything.”
Other budget items include using funds from undesignated accounts for improvements to the town’s basketball and tennis courts and baseball field. The fire department is also spending $27,000, along with grant funding, to replace equipment, including a new Jaws of Life machine for vehicle crash rescues and a new thermal imaging tool to track fires, Gardner said.
Also at the meeting, voters re-elected four incumbents to the select and school boards, who were running unopposed. Mike Corey and Paul Dudley will remain on the board of selectmen, and David Hopkins and Sandy Flewelling will continue on the school board.
