The Selectboard met in a Special Session Monday evening to work on the Town municipal budget, address several personnel matters and update progress on replacing the Town Garage, which was destroyed recently in a fire.
Members at Monday’s Selectboard meeting passed the FY2021 proposed budget and articles for Town Meeting. The proposed budget was further trimmed by the Selectboard with suggestions from Town Treasurer Mary Mead, Assistant Town Clerk Christina Booher, and from the public. There were more attendees at this meeting than in several months, each there for varying topics, but the budget took center stage.
Vermonters know there’s a difference between taxes and tax rates. Especially when it comes to property taxes, a lower rate doesn’t mean lower taxes if the grand list value of a property goes up. It’s important to distinguish between taxes and rates as the administration and the Legislature seek a compromise on education funding for next year.
An article on page 14 in the Dec. 13 issue of The Charlotte News, “Commissioner of Taxes Releases FY2019 Education Yield Letter,” quoted Jeanne Jensen, the chief operating officer of the Champlain Valley School District, as saying, “Finally, taxpayers should remember that we will be receiving the second year of our district consolidation tax incentive, which will provide CVSD tax payers with an 8 cent reduction on their tax bill.”
On Nov. 30, Commissioner of Taxes Kaj Samsom released his annual education tax rate letter, which forecasts an increase of 9.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for both homestead and nonresidential taxpayers for the upcoming fiscal year (FY) 2019.
Another reminder for you all, Charlotte property taxes are due Wednesday, Nov. 15. Checks or cash only, no credit cards. Postmarked by the 15th is accepted as timely payment. If the office is closed, you can use the mail slot by the front door to drop off your tax payment; there is a lockbox on the other side.
At a special meeting of the Selectboard on July 30, board members voted to set the municipal tax rate for 2017/18 at $0.1719, a reduction about one-half of one cent on last year’s rate $0.1767.