Volume 19, Number 44 Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
www.TownTimes.com
Middlefield grand list grows 0.64 percent By Mark Dionne The Town Times
Middlefield’s 2012 grand list changed only slightly from 2011, with a net increase of 0.64 percent. The final grand list figure of $403,672,930 is based on three taxable components — real estate ($353,916,500), per-
sonal property ($32,242,620) and motor vehicle ($33,166,560) minus exemptions ($15,652,750). The grand list by itself does not determine tax increases or decreases. “The second part of the equation is what the mill rate is,” as Middlefield Tax Assessor Steven Hodgetts explained.
Cheers for Taste of Durham
Photo by Mark Dionne
Library Director Valerie Kilmartin shares a toast with wine bar volunteers Martin French and Ralph Chase at the Taste of Durham on Feb. 2. For more photos of the annual event, see page 6.
“That depends on the town budget and the Region 13 budget.” The mill rate figure reflects how much each taxpayer owes per $1,000 of taxable property. Middlefield’s town website lists the 2011 mill rate as 32.15. The sale of Powder Ridge into private ownership was reflected on the grand list. “Exempt real estate went down because Powder Ridge became taxable,” Hodgetts said. Because the sale took place before the deadline in 2012, Powder Ridge Mountain Park became taxable real estate and was given a 2012 gross assessment of $559,350. Like Durham, Middlefield has experienced a drop off in state funds reimbursing the towns for tax exemptions to personal property, largely business and manufacturing equipment. “We still have to exempt it, but we’re not getting the money back,” Hodgetts said. Taxable real estate remained largely stable in MidSee Middlefield, page 7
Durham grand list grows 0.75 percent By Mark Dionne The Town Times
nents and largely made up of business and manufacturing equipment, had the largest change from 2011 to 2012. The gross personal property line jumped over nine million from $40,702,214 to $49,862,423. However, the exemptions for this line increased by almost six million, meaning the net change in taxable personal property is an increase of only $3,184,788. So while Durham saw an increase in the personal property in town of around nine million, it will only receive the tax benefit from a net increase of See Durham, page 7
Wild winds
Photo by Mark Dionne
A portion of Maple Road in Durham was closed Thursday morning, Jan. 31, to remove a fallen tree from the roof of a house. The overnight windstorm resulted in multiple downed trees and branches. The schools had a tw-hour delay, except for John Lyman, which had to cancel without power.
In this issue ... Calendar ..........................4 Government ....................8 Schools...........................17
Scouting.........................12 Seniors...........................19 Sports.............................20
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The 2012 grand list for the town of Durham increased only 0.75 percent despite a large increase in the amount of personal property in town. The net taxable amount on the 2012 grand list is $737,958,996. This total comes from three areas — real estate ($646,428,194), personal property ($30,798,962), and motor vehicles ($60,731,840). As Durham Assessor John Philip explained of the grand list, “It’s the sum of the assessed value of all taxable property.”
The mill rate, or level of taxation, for each town is determined by the grand list and the town’s budget. “The town is going to decide what they need to spend and the mill rate is a function of that,” Philip said. The mill rate for the 2011 tax year in Durham was 32.19, meaning that $32.19 is owed in taxes to the town for every $1,000 in taxable property owned. The 2012 mill rate can not be determined until the town budget is passed. The personal property line, which is the smallest of the three grand list compo-
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