Fees increased taxes don’t

By Maurice Emery
Editor

The Littleton Town Board of Commissioners declared there would be no tax increase when they passed the 2007-2008 budget. The final budget general fund appropriations came to $576,800.00.  According to Mayor Mason Hawfield the budget is based on a tax valuation of a  little more than $32 million dollars.

Commissioner Betty Willis then asked the board to consider an increase in the Schedule of Fees.  In her presentation Willis told the board that the state requires that the town water department must not operate at a loss.  She then proposed increases in most of the fees and deposits the town requires, mostly connected with the water and sewer.

Commissioner Willis laid out all the increases she proposed and reinforced that other towns charge more and the town must not lose money on the water and sewer services. The fees will not impact most town citizens.

The schedule of fees for utility deposits for renters will increased from $75.00 to $100.00.  The fine for tampering with a water meter increased from $75.00 to $100.00. 

es for other items are: In town water taps increased from $600 to $1,100; out of town from $700 to $1,300.  According to Willis the increase may sound like a lot, but the contractor working to seal the water lines now is charging $1,400 per tap.

In town sewer taps will increase from $600 to $1,200.  Out of town sewer taps will increase from $700 to $1,400.  The only other increase is for taps that require contracted labor or equipment.  The deposit for that will increase from $1,500 to $2,000. 

 From the moment increases were mentioned Mayor Hawfield was against them. The mayor felt the increases were excessive.   In the end the board unanimously approved the increases. 

Town Commissioner Patrick MacRae asked the board to approve $2,000 from the cemetery budget to tear down a dilapidated house standing on cemetery property.  McRae pointed out that he actually did not need the boards approval because it is from the cemetery budget, but he felt anytime he was spending more than $1,000 he should get approval.  The request passed unanimously.

After the meeting when asked if there was a misprint in the town budget with the entry of Powell Bill or should it have been Power Bill, Willis responded no.  She went on to explain that the Powell Bill line item in the budget reflects money the town gets from the state.  This money goes to qualifying municipalities and comes from a portion of the gasoline tax.  The state returns 1 3 /4 cents of the gas tax to the municipalities.  The equation used includes town population and miles of roads in the town. 

According to state records in 2007 the estimated population of Littleton was 673 with 6.58 miles of roads.  Littleton received $29,319.56.  Warrenton had an estimated population of 937, with 6.22 miles of roads.  Warrenton received $35,271.12.

Powell Bill funds can only be used for maintaining, repairing, constructing, reconstructing or widening of local streets that are the responsibility of the municipalities or for planning, construction, and maintenance of bikeways or sidewalks along public streets and highways.