DERRY | This year's tax rate is the lowest homeowners have seen in the last three years.
The tax rate dropped 11 cents to $22.05 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Last year, the rate was $22.16, and the 2005 rate was $27.03.
Tax bills will be mailed by the end of the month, with payment due by Dec. 3.
Town Administrator Gary Stenhouse said the lower tax rate can be attributed to the $2.5 million the School Board appropriated to reduce that rate. Other factors that helped to decrease the school rate are lower enrollment and special education costs at Pinkerton Academy and closed-out bonds from capital projects at Gilbert H. Hood and Barka schools. Under the new tax rate, the owner of a home valued at $250,000 would pay $5,512 in property taxes.
The tax rate breaks down as follows:
r Town: $7.64, compared with $7.50 last year
r School: $11.08, compared with $11.32 last year
r State education: $2.44, compared with $2.41 last year
r County: 89 cents, compared with 93 cents last year.
