SKOWHEGAN — The Assessors office is meeting on Thursday to establish the town’s new mill rate after a significant error was spotted.
According to Town Manager Christine Almand, the error made in the Sappi valuation was discovered when figures were being transposed into financial software. She advises taxpayers to hold off on sending tax payments until the new mill rate is released. Any payments that have been made already will remain credited to those accounts.
New tax bills with corrected amounts will be available next week.
Skowhegan residents expected to see a drop in their tax rate this year as Sappi’s $200 million investment in the Somerset mill is “being fully recognized,” as Town Manager Christine Almand termed it.
The majority of improvements made at the Sappi mill are eligible for the state’s Business Equipment Tax Exemption program which entitles the town to receive a reimbursement from the state for the lost property taxes this year. That reimbursement is expected to decrease over time due to depreciation.
In 2018, the rate was $18.20 for every $1,000 in property valuation and a $150,000 house was taxed $2,730. In 2017 the tax rate was $20 and the tax bill $3,000.
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