Ok, let's give Frankie a chance here...

Ok, we need to give Frankie a chance, and see if he knows anything about which he speaks. Let's wait and see if the sky really is falling.  If he's right, we'll duck and appoint him Supreme Dictator and All Knowing Benevolent Leader.     

************************************************************************************************

At Thursday night's selectmen's meeting, Selectman Frank DiConzo speculated that the rate could shoot up to $30 to cover an overall town and school budget of almost $15 million.

SJ Link

Can't speculate ??????????
By FRANK DICONZO, Community Member, Rumford — Mon, 08/25/2014 - 11:22

I think we can speculate. If who we have retained to assess these two entities is having a hard time getting us the needed information when it is due then we might have to look elsewhere for someone to do it. They are the best from what I hear . If they are the best then we shouldn't have to wait each year. We need to set our tax rate.

Remember citizens
By FRANK DICONZO, Community Member, Rumford — Mon, 08/25/2014 - 09:43

If we do get any monies back in revenue from the state it will not bring the tax rate back to $24 mils or less from last year because of those who voted in all the high budgets this year. And we also have to remember that New Page and Brookfield Power will likely get a reduced evaluation. The less they pay the more we pay. We cannot continue to use designated funds to keep our tax rate down. Even the auditor stated this. Because by doing so, if a major disaster happened, we couldn't operate more than 30 days. We should have enough to operate 90 to 120 days. People should pay for what they voted for in the first place. If this procedure would have been followed through the years we would not be seeing a big increase of 5,6 or 7 mils at one time. We are looking at consolidation of services of Rumford and Mexico. The big question is will it help decrease out tax rate. It will, maybe, if we go by state standards for a population size of 7200. Then we could see what level of service is required for this size population. We need to get lean and mean, as Mr. Adley stated ,and I agree. So start putting extra monies aside now. Be prepared .

RUMFORD — The Board of Assessors has set the 2014-15 tax rate at $26.95, which is up from $24 for the previous fiscal year, member Linda French said Tuesday afternoon.

She (French) said she was glad that the rate didn't hit $30. During previous selectmen meetings this year, that amount was repeatedly projected by one selectman and a few other residents.

"We're up slightly and we're pleased with it," French said. "Of course, you always want it lower, but it's nowhere near $30."

SJ Link

Unfortunately for the taxpayers, French pulled this off by bypassing common sense in gutting reserves to keep from handing the people the bill for the spending they approved. Can only spend that money once. There is no money to carry over from June 30, 2014 to whenever they get their acts together next year on the annual valuation setting and the nerve up then to set the tax rate. No way, even if they could get it done by the Charter deadline of taxes due Oct 1 that there will be enough money to run the town to October 1. Highly unlikely the town will be solvent to April 1 when the second half payments are due especially if the mill, power plant, or a bunch of others puts in the abatements they are entitled too. Then there are all the people who just don't have the money to pay. No matter how you slice it, we are totally screwed. Next years tax rate increase will dwarf the one a couple of years ago. Just watch, all those town employee rats will be jumping ship like Rick Kent real soon. Kent saw the righting on the wall and got out before the gettin out got to bad.

"Then there are all the people who just don't have the money to pay."

What you really mean is, the money they don't want to pay.