By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — On the evening that Casco residents were approving the budget, there was a new piece of information to digest: The property revaluation.

Unfortunately, not everybody had received the results of their property valuation in a letter from the company Vision Government Solutions Inc.

There has been a sizable jump in value. In fact, property values almost doubled.

People, who didn’t already know, were informed of the increased land values during the Casco Annual Town Meeting.

“Last year, at commitment, the total taxable value of real estate was $631,901,390. The anticipated total taxable value of real estate with the revaluation will be $1,230,007,000 or a 96 percent increase,” according to Casco Town Manager Anthony “Tony” Ward.

He tried to assure residents that the mil rate will go down now that the property values have gone up.

Secondly, he informed the crowd at town meeting to reach out to Vision Government instead of the town office.

“When you get that [letter]. Don’t freak out. Relax for a second,” Ward said, admitting that is easier said than done

“Right now, the mil rate is 15.95. What I anticipate is: when values go up, the mil rate drops down,” he said.

“When you get the letter, please do not call the town office. We are not responsible. You call Vision Government. They will have a contact number on the letter,” he said. “When you get the letter, don’t yell at the board, staff or anyone.”

Maine State law forced the town’s hand, he said. Properties within the Town of Casco were valued at about 60 percent of what comparable properties were selling for, he said.

According to the section on revaluation on the Maine government website, “In 1975, Maine’s Property Tax Law added language that required a town to maintain valuation equitable to at least 70 percent. This allows a taxpayer to understand their own valuation and relate it to other property values within the town.”

The objective of the revaluation is to bring the assessed value to the just value.

“Just value is synonymous with market value,” the website said.

Ward explained that Casco’s revaluation process began about a year-and-a-half ago after the select board awarded a bid to Vision Government.

On the night when citizens gathered to approve or reject budget items, the town was prepared to talk about the revaluation. One of the handouts for the pubic was a letter from the town manager, providing some bullet points on the topic.

At the beginning of the town meeting, a glitch in the electronic voting system gave town officials a chance to talk about the revaluation.

People were invited to step to microphone with questions regarding the valuation.

Resident Ilene Tidd spoke.

“I have a concern. I know you said the letters have gone out. Some people have seen their new appraisal values and some haven’t and we are here tonight making decisions on a very large municipal increase. I am wondering how it is going to affect me personally,” Tidd said.

Jayne C, who lives off Meadow Road in a modest home with a small beach on Pleasant Lake, spoke up.  

“I got my letter. My house and property is worth three quarters of a million dollars. Only thirty-five feet of the property is on the lake… Why is my property now worth $750,000?” she said.

She mentioned she lives on a fixed income.

“You are sending a message to the older people in Casco that you don’t want us to live here,” she added.

Chairman Scott Avery said it was not the town or the select board that dictated the revaluation should be done, but state law.

Some of the highlight of the letter included:

• The average lakefront property is valued at $752,500 in value, or an increase of 119 percent.

• The average single-family home rose to a value of between $355,000 and $356,000. The average single-family home was approximately $180,000 prior to revaluation, which represents a 97 percent increase.

• The average single-family resident will pay an average tax bill of $2970 or more based on the final budget numbers.

• The average lake front property resident will pay an average tax bill of $6,290 or more based on the final budget number.

• A single mil ($1.00 on the tax rate) will raise approximately $1.2 million.

Selectman Grant Plummer spoke, stressing that the mil rate will be reduced before the tax commitment is made. The current tax rate is not the number people should be looking at to figure out their future tax bill when they receive the new value, he said.

“Right now, with the whole town being valued at 60 percent, with our valuation basically doubling, we know we will see that ml rate come down. We still need to raise the money to do the same business we have to approve tonight. We are not paying the same mil rate. We will see that mil rate drop,” he said.

Plummer mentioned the need for an overlay. Then, Town Manager Ward talked in more detail about that subject.

“The overlay will be more this year. We anticipate with any reval, there will be people who appeal,” Ward said.

While people are in the appeal process, they might put off paying tax bill until that process is done. Therefore, it is anticipated there will be more abatements in the coming months, he said.

There is one positive aspect to the increased land values.

“There is one golden light, any of you who had homestead exemptions, it will increase to $2,500,” Ward said.

The homestead exemption will be at 100 percent, instead of reduced like it was when the property values were below 70 percent of the market value.