Dover-Foxcroft mill rate set at $17

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Dover-Foxcroft Select Board signed the 2024-25 tax commitment during a meeting on Monday, Aug. 26. The mill rate for the fiscal year will be $17 per every $1,000 of assessed property, a decrease of $1.55 from a rate of $18.55 for the previous year.

The drop in the mill rate is from the town’s valuation increasing significantly due to rising property values and increases in the state valuation for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The town is required to maintain a municipal valuation within 90 percent of the state valuation or else it would lose a portion of state revenue. 

Town Manager Jack Clukey said the valuation has increased by close to $100 million over the last two years to $425,688,900 from last year’s $363,964,400 and $326,283,660 in 2022-23.

Dover-Foxcroft has nearly $12.2 million in total appropriations for 2024-25 including approximately $8.3 million in the municipal budget, over $2.85 million for its share of the RSU 68 finances, $667,360 in Piscataquis County tax, and about $275,000 for overlay.

After various revenues totaling nearly $4.7 million, the net assessment for commitment is $7,499,160. This is up by $747,621 from a figure of $6,751,539 in 2023-24.

Clukey said it is important for senior homeowners who participated in the property tax stabilization program, which has been repealed by the Maine State Legislature, to know they can expect to experience larger tax impacts than those who did not participate. He said program participants did not see increases one year ago.

State property tax assistance programs are available. The State Property Tax Deferral Program allows qualifying senior homeowners to defer payment of taxes, while the Property Tax Fairness Credit provides an income tax benefit to qualifying homeowners of all ages. To qualify for the tax credit, homeowners are required to file an income tax return, which can be filed for free using the Maine Tax Portal. 

Information about the programs can be found on the Maine Revenue Services website. Links to both of these resources are posted on the homepage of the town website at www.dover-foxcroft.org. A suggestion was made to include information in the tax bills mailed out.

In other business, the select board heard an update on the Lincoln Street bridge project from representatives of Wright Pierce Engineers as the design phase of the replacement project is nearing completion.

Those coming onto the western end of Lincoln Street from North Street via vehicle or on foot may not realize the road includes a bridge going over a small brook emptying into the nearby Piscataquis River. In June the select board approved a preliminary design for rehabilitation from Wright Pierce Engineers.

Project Manager Jason Gallant of Wright Pierce Engineers said a design team has been meeting weekly and permitting will be submitted soon to the town and then to the Army Corps of Engineers.

Gallant said the bridge — built in 1960 — spans just under 17 feet and is made up of reinforced concrete slab on stone abutments. It features two-way travel lanes, angled parking on the south side, parallel parking on the north side, and partial sidewalks on both sides of the street with businesses located on each side.

He said the pavement is in poor condition and there is a reoccurring sinkhole by Bob’s Hardware. He said the condition rating is 4 on a scale of 0-9.

“We plan to close to allow for construction with temporary parking and business and pedestrian access,” Gallant said.

The town had sought engineering proposals at the end of 2023 and in February the select board approved a $218,400 proposal from Wright Pierce Engineers for permitting design. At the 2023 annual town meeting Town Manager Jack Clukey said a replacement project would cost close to $2 million with the town having a $200,000 share. Wright Pierce Engineers would have its work done later in the year with construction to take place in 2025 or 2026.

Gallant said final estimates would be completed by the end of the month and should be around $2.3 million. He said a benefit cost analysis has the project worth around $3.1 million. They hope to pick up additional Congressionally Directed Spending funds in the next round.

“The next step is to put bids out and see what the pricing is and go from there,” Clukey said.

Clukey said during recent meetings of the board’s protection committee there has been preliminary discussions on looking into the concept of a combined public safety building. He said the fire and police departments have smaller spaces at the current locations and there is funding available for combined facilities, as was done in Greenville and is being worked on in Milo.

The town would plan for the long-term, 50-plus years. “What might a public building look like and where might it be?,” Clukey rhetorically asked. He said having some preliminary plans in place would be advantageous in seeking out funding.

“We have seen growth in call volume the last few years so we will likely need more equipment and more space,” the town manager said. “The ideal situation is not to have any costs on that,” with grants funding a new facility.

In his report Clukey said the property at 11 Grange Street has been prepped and is ready for demolition. A request for proposals has been posted for the work and bids are expected back in time for the second select meeting in September on the 23rd.

In July 2023 the select board approved a dangerous building order for a structure at 11 Grange Street after determining it is in disrepair and cannot be rehabilitated due to a variety of issues. The bank-owned property is for sale, and a portion of transaction proceeds would cover structure removal.

Clukey said new playground equipment for the Morton Avenue space has been delivered. Public works will remove most of the existing equipment over the next couple of weeks and prep the site. The installation crew will arrive in two to three weeks to finish the project. 

“Kids are back in school so maybe there’s a little less demand for the playground and it will be worth the wait,” Clukey said.

He welcomed Alsina Brenenstuhl who has been hired to fill a newly-created communications director/grant writer position. “She’s off to a great start with communications and also getting started with the great opportunities we are moving along,” Clukey said.

Brenenstuhl began two weeks prior on Aug. 12. In addition to the town’s existing presence on Facebook, YouTube, and the municipal website, she has set up a town presence on Instagram, X, and NextDoor. Brenenstuhl has also incorporated the use of Linktree to make the online presence more user-friendly.