Expect Higher Tax Bills Next Week

Your tax bills will be coming sometime next week and you can expect a higher tax rate.

Town Administrator Jim O’Mara revealed at Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting that this year’s tax rate has been set at $25.37 per thousand of assessed valuation.

The increase is due to the after a revaluation was held this year. Overall, property values dropped over $3 million from their original assessed value.

This is a 4 percent increase over what was expected prior to the revaluation, according to O’Mara. The tax rate in 2010 was $20.48.

Chairman Bruce Bowler said that some residents believed that a lower property assessment meant less taxes, but that is not the case. This is because the town still needs to raise and appropriate the same amount of money from all Amherst appraised property for the approved budget.