By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

HARRISON — Like many taxpayers, resident Don Jacobson wondered whether his next tax bill will be based on the existing property value or expected changes from the soon-to-be completed revaluation?

The answer, the new value.

Bob Gingras of Parker Appraisal gave the Harrison Select Board an update on the town’s revaluation.

Updates are complete. Information is being transferred to an assessing software package, and all that is left on the docket is personal property numbers, CMP and the town budget.

“We can send out the notices along with an estimated mill rate sometime in July,” Gingras said.

While Selectman Phil Devlin has received questions from citizens when they will find out their new property assessments, Gingras said the only way to determine what their tax bill will be is for all numbers — school tax, town budget — to be in and a mill rate set by the Select Board.

Devlin asked whether citizens could be told what their new property assessment is prior to the mill rate being set and tax bills generated.

“If that is what the town wants to do, go for it. You can mail those out as soon as CMP and all personal property is done, probably within May,” Gingras responded.

Gingras pointed out that to figure out whether the new assessment triggers an increase in taxes owed, one must know the mill rate.

“They can’t even guesstimate,” he noted.

That rate is determined how much the town spends, at the municipal and school levels. Overall town valuation is expected to increase, but the town does not know yet what it’s school tax will be.

Frank said the news on the SAD 17 front isn’t good. He attended a school budget presentation last week and found directors proposed a budget with a “significant increase.” Based on what’s currently on the table, Harrison is looking at a 14.92% tax hike, Frank reported.

“They then had a $2 million request for capital improvement, of which, out of the $2 million our share would be $363,800,” Frank said. “The two items combined would be a net increase of $936,301. From what I could see, nobody was happy with the increases.”

Harrison is a leading tax payer in SAD 17 because of the existing statewide funding formula which is based on 75% property value and 25% enrollment.

“I can tell you the amount we’re paying per child is going to be ridiculous. It’s about $22,672, whereas other towns like Paris is at $6,100; Otisfield is at $8,600; and Norway is about $8,000. So, we get the opportunity to carry all of their children for them,” Frank said. “Therefore, they (other SAD 17 towns) have a tendency to vote in favor of this stuff because Harrison is subsidizing them. That’s an editorial opinion. My personal plan is I’m not going to vote for these things. I’m voting ‘no,’ that’s how I stand on it. We don’t get a say in this. The voters of the eight towns get a say on this.”

“There’s a one-room schoolhouse up on Maple Ridge,” joked resident Peter Brown.

“I wish we could go back to that,” Frank responded.

Gingras noted that hearings regarding dispute over assessed values will happen before the mill rate is set, which typically occurs in August.

“I think it’s safe to say that people should know in the June timeframe what their new assessment will be,” Code Officer and Assessor John Wentworth said.

In other meeting notes:

More Time to Talk. While at his winter home, Peter Brown watched a couple of the Select Board meetings online. He didn’t like what he saw.

Brown questioned whether the board should extend their public participation rule to give people more time beyond the allotted two minutes to voice a concern or raise a question.

“You might have noticed that I didn’t watch my watch on the last two speakers. I’m going to be a little bit flexible, but this is a selectmen’s meeting and our objective is to get through a rather long agenda, but we also want and need your input,” Board Chairman Matthew Frank said.

“Flexible to who?” Brown responded. Brown pointed out that several people “got shot down” regarding conversation addressing business sponsorship of local rec teams. Having coached many years here, Brown pointed out business/public sponsorship in the form of uniforms has occurred “for years and years and years.”

“I disagree how that went, how everybody was treated that time. I have a lot of respect for you, Matt. You’ve done a lot of good for the town. But to run a meeting like that and have the town manager sit there and not pay attention to anybody that’s speaking, very rude,” Brown said.

Think outside of the Box. Steve McFarland likes to think outside of the box. A good example is when he recently proposed the town paint part of Main Street as a way to alert the driving public they are entering the village and to slow down.

“I got a few thoughts... Please keep in mind as you do your work, but what happens is a lot of the good old boy network gets rather entrenched in a small town. New ideas, good ideas often get squashed because they aren’t the good old boys’ way of being. I’m not part of the good old boy network in Harrison. I’m good. I’m old. And I’m a boy. But I’ve only been here eight years, mostly as a passive resident enjoying off the benefits of this absolutely gorgeous town has to offer. I hope everybody says a prayer for being in this town every day because it’s a pretty special place,” he told the Select Board. “I’m a new guy with some new ideas. Takes a bit to accept new ideas. I know, but it costs nothing to talk. It costs nothing to listen. It costs nothing to respect the person speaking and give that one person everybody’s undivided attention. Cost is zero. Pay back is huge.”

His list of big ideas included enhanced crosswalks, paint Main Street, buy the Olde Mill Tavern and convert it into a community center and museum, and bring back an assistant town manager.

Resident Don Jacobson agreed crosswalk improvement is needed.

“I cross Main Street two or three times a week, and it’s a horror show. There’s no signs,” he said. “I see young people, old people, veteran plates, women, men, trucks, motorcycles, nobody stops because no one knows they’re there. If you live in the town, you might know where they are, but many don’t.”

Jacobson suggested the town look into installing button-activated, flashing signs, which are used in Naples, Norway and Fryeburg.

“I think when we have a place of heavy access, it’d be good to have something that lights up or put (yield) signs in the middle of the road during the summertime,” Jacobson added.

On another note, Jacobson asked town officials if they looked into buying a used, less expensive backhoe rather than purchasing a new one at $190,000. Select Board Chairman Matt Frank thanked Jacobson for his “thoughts” regarding the backhoe.