Hooksett’s tax rate is 8 percent lower than last year’s rate. However, due to revaluation of the town’s properties, many homeowners are likely to see a higher tax bill just in time for Christmas.

The current rate was finally set on Wednesday, Nov. 26, having been delayed several weeks by the revaluation process. Bills were expected to be mailed out in the following week, said Evelyn Horn at Hooksett Town Hall.

The new rate is $20.82 per $1,000 of property value, while last year’s rate was $22.68.

The town portion went down by 79 cents, from $6.20 to $5.41. The local school portion was reduced by 57 cents, from $11.21 to $10.64. The state school portion shrank by 60 cents, going from $2.72 to $2.12. The county portion is the only segment that saw an increase, going from $2.55 last year to $2.65 this year.

The total amount of money to be raised in Hooksett after voting last spring is $33,088,441, said Christine Soucie, finance director for the town of Hooksett.

That’s $3,215,955 more than last year’s amount of $29,872,485, a 10-percent increase in spending.

Lower rate, higher bill
Will this mean a lower tax bill? With property values reassessed, it may not. If a home were assessed at $225,000 last year, that property owner would have received a bill for $5,103.

If that home is now assessed at $278,800, the property owner would receive a bill for $5,787.96, a $684.96 increase, or 13 percent higher.

Compounding the problem is that the spring bill is based on half the previous year’s bill. The current bill is more than half because it makes up for what wasn’t paid in the first half.

A homeowner would see a reduction in the tax bill only if their property stayed the same in value or was reduced in value. In a typical revaluation, one third stay the same, one third go up and one third go down.

Values in Hooksett were assessed as of April 1, so dropping market values may not have been reflected.

Town clerk and tax collector Leslie Nepveu said she’s been getting a lot of calls from people wondering if their bills are correct, even from businesses.

She noted that Target’s bill, which was $120,368 for the first half of the year, jumped to $215,993 in the current bill. RK Associates, which owns the plaza with Kmart and Dollar Tree and which has been flooded several times, went from $47,930 to $128,087.

She said they called to say, “How can you say it’s worth that when it’s under water all the time?”

Residents react
Jeff Lebreque and his family all live in Hooksett.

“Everyone I know, their bill went up $800,” he said. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

He questioned where the money is going more than his property value.

“My pet peeve in this whole thing is they always do this right around the holidays,” he said. “I budgeted for my tax bill to be this much. Now it’s (up) more than $800?”

Chris Pearson lives near Heritage Estates, and his property tax also rose by about $800. “My property value went up pretty substantially, but I thought the tax rate would go down to offset it,” he said.

Pearson is a member of the Hooksett Zoning Board, but still doesn’t see where all the money is going.

“If I knew where this money was going, I wouldn’t have a problem, but I don’t know where this goes,” he said.

James Sullivan, a School Board member, said he is OK with his tax bill, but wonders why the value of homes has increased so much with the mortgage crisis and the economy.

“What I have heard is: Why are the houses’ values increased so much in a time when, nationally, home values have decreased? It’s all so confusing.”

Ronald Dion saw an increase of $300 in his tax bill, but doesn’t blame local government.

“I don’t believe we should complain when we are the ones who elect representatives who pledge to keep the same antiquated levy,” he said. “As a result, we continue to underfund our departments and are failing to maintain our infrastructure.”

Some cuts made
A good half million dollars were cut from this year’s school budget, according to School Board Chairman Maura Ouelle.

“We did return $505,950 to the taxpayers of the town from the 2007-08 budget cycle, which is reflected in part by what we see for a rate this year,” she said.