At last week's Woolwich Selectmen's meeting, a mill rate of 12.05 percent was tentatively set. Selectman David King said this week 12.05 will be the mill rate for 2007-2008.

However, it was previously reported that the mill rate would increase from 11.9 to 12.05 percent, when in fact, last year's mill rate was 10.9 percent. Instead of the increase being $60 on a property valued at $100,000, it will be an increase of $160 on a property valued at $100,000.

King said, "We (the selectmen) do not like to increase taxes. Any increase in property taxes is too much. We had no choice. The town has to raise enough money to pay what the voters tell us we can spend."

The voters at the town's annual town meeting, May 9, approved exceeding the LD1 spending limit by $38,000, and exceeding the State's Essential Programs and Service (EPS) limit by $289,000 for the school budget.

The amount the town must raise from taxes is $3.8 million. The town's commitments include: $553,000 for county taxes; town expenses $853,000, and the education budget, $2.6 million.

Projected revenues include about $197,000, with $195,000 from state revenue sharing.

According to Maine law, a town's overlay (money for unanticipated expenses) can't exceed five percent of the net to be raised by local property tax rate.

Woolwich selectmen debated on setting the mill rate, and the amount to put in the overlay account at their meeting on September 24. The minimum tax rate the town could impose, by state law, is 11.94 percent, and the maximum tax rate the town could set is 12.54.

The selectmen could have set their mill rate with a maximum overlay of $192,000, with a mill rate of 12.54. Instead they went with an overlay of $34,000 with the mill rate of 12.05.

The town's local taxable real estate is valued at $316.5 million, and the town's taxable personal property value is $6.7 million, making the total taxable valuation approximately $321.6 million.

Woolwich's fiscal year goes from July 1 to June 30 each year. The tax bills were sent out September 28.