FARMINGTON — Property owners in Farmington will pay 3.6 percent more this year in property taxes than last.

Selectmen recently set a tax rate of $16.60 per $1,000 of assessed value, an increase of 59 cents over last year.

The increase means that the owner of a $100,000 home will be charged $1,660, $59 more than last year.

Mark Caldwell, the town’s assessor, said that many factors had an impact on the tax rate this year, including increased bills from the county, which accounts for 6.7 percent of the property tax bill, and the Regional School Unit 9 budget, which makes up 51.22 percent. The town budget accounts for the remaining 42.1 percent, he said.

On the municipal side, Farmington’s total appropriations increased 4.2 percent, or $187,439, to $4,650,934, according to Caldwell.

Caldwell said that the addition of a new police station was the biggest driver of increases to the town’s appropriations.

“The police budget had an increase,” he said. “They’re maintaining a whole new facility over there.”

In March, town voters overwhelmingly approved a $490,000 project to turn an existing building on Franklin Street into a new police station.

Caldwell said that local taxpayers were particularly hard-hit because the sluggish economy has led to fewer construction projects, which would typically share the burden.

“It was a very slow year for new valuations,” Caldwell said. “New construction was way down.”

Other factors that have kept the tax rate up in Farmington include homestead and veterans exemptions, increased bonding costs, and lowered levels of state revenue sharing, Caldwell said.

The new tax rate was approved by the board last week; tax bills are due Nov. 1.

Matt Hongoltz-Hetling — 861-9287

mhhetling@centralmaine.com

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