Hopkinton News : Taxes

No tax hike

Bow Editor — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:50:00 GMT

Hopkinton taxpayers won’t see an increase in the tax rate for 2007. While town and school tax rates remained level, the county tax increased slightly.

Overall, the Hopkinton tax rate for 2006 and 2007 remained the same at $21.05 per $1,000 assessed property valuation. A home assessed at $300,000, for example, would see a tax bill of $6,315. Tax rates are reached by combining town, local school, state school and county taxes.

The 2007 town tax rate decreased to $4.04, compared to last year’s rate of $4.33. The local school rate lowered slightly from $12.78 to $12.73, while the state school tax rate remained the same at $2.08. The county rate went from $1.86 in 2006 to $2.20 this year.

Interim Town Administrator Bob Veloski said he’s happy with the job Hopkinton did in getting its rate down from last year.

“We did our best to try to control the town rate,” he said. “The selectmen were shooting for $4.17, so when I gave them the rate of $4.04 they were very happy to have exceeded the promises they made to the taxpayers.”

The town reduced its portion of the tax rate by 29 cents and still maintained many of the valuable services that the taxpayers receive, said school officals.

“A few of the residents noticed the effects of the new budget, but in all there were no major cuts to service,” said a statement released by the Board of Selectmen and SAU 66 administration.

Had the county rate remained the same, the town would have seen a drop from last year’s overall number.

The town tax rate is the lowest it has been since 1994, said Veloski.

“Having the rate be at the lowest it’s been in such a long time is very exciting for us,” he said.

The state school rate is at its lowest since 2001, and the local school reduction was due to personnel changes and contractual obligations that the school district was not forced to fulfill.

Also factored into the local school rate was a savings in health insurace.

In 2005, the insurance company gave the district a 16.5 percent increase and the rate set in May 2006 reflected a 13.5 percent jump.

Although the rate stays the same for Hopkinton homeowners overall, some homeowners may still see a higher tax bill than they did last year.

“Some of the houses may have had additions or renovations that were missed previously,” said Veloski. “In those cases, the bill will increase slightly from last year despite the 2007 tax rate.”

Tax error prompts revaluations

Bow Editor — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:39:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Beginning in September, the town of Hopkinton will begin to correct its own mistakes by revaluating homeowners’ property in town due to a software problem regarding last year’s tax bills.

Hopkinton attempted to upgrade its homeowners’ data to new software without going through the process of visiting each home to assess the value. However, due to discrepancies between the two programs, many homeowners were overcharged.

Because of the glitch, half basements and crawl spaces were often recorded as full basements, roof styles were not taken into account and fixtures such as faucets were not analyzed, among other things. The software upgrade even caused one town resident’s tax bill to jump from about $15,000 to nearly $40,000, according to Town Administrator Ed Wojnowski.

Wojnowski said the reactions to the tax bills was immediate.

“I knew right away when the first person came into the Town Hall yelling,” he said. “I think we sent the bills out on a Tuesday and people were lined up in here by Wednesday morning.”

In an attempt to remedy the situation, the town sent all of its residents a copy of their tax card and gave the option to call about any possible mistakes. Wojnowski said about 1,300 people responded to the tax cards.

Residents have filed approximately 500 abatement forms in an attempt to get their tax bills reduced back to normal.

Hopkinton already has a contract with Purvis Associates for general assessment purposes. However, the town has signed on with the group on top of the original assessing duties to begin to revaluate every piece of property. Because of the new contract, Wojnowski said the town will take a hit financially, but there is a more important fact to consider.

“There is a cost for us on top of the original assessing which will be spread out over the next two years’ budgets,” said Wojnowski. “The bottom line is the issue of fairness will be resolved for everybody, and everyone will be paying their fair share of the tax. We’ll be able to move forward.”

Although the cost and process may not have been necessary if it were not for the software glitch, it still will be helpful in the long run.

“The bottom line is we will have a clean record of what physically exists on the properties, which will provide a fairer tax and assessed value for everybody,” said Wojnowski.

The town will review the abatement applications that have already been filed, and if errors are found, the homeowner will be paid back the amount they overpaid at 6 percent interest.

Wojnowski knows the board members’ steps of beginning the revaluation process, which should be completed by the end of next July, were necessary.

“At this point, the steps that the board has taken are the correct ones. The ultimate goal of the board is to ensure fairness across, and the way to achieve that is by the revaluations,” he said. “If we didn’t do anything, we would always have this hanging over us until the next time, and it would be kind of debilitating. “

Hopkinton’s board of selectmen certainly learned a lesson in spite of the mistakes, said Wojnowski.

“We learned never to do a desktop update and conversion again,” he said with a laugh.

Tempers flare at Town Meeting

Bow Editor — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:03:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

New St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Hopkinton rector, the Rev. Kevin Nichols, led the Hopkinton Town Meeting with a prayer, encouraging residents and town officials to break down the walls between them.

In his opening comments, Selectman George Langwasser expressed a similar goal.

“Let’s leave here as neighbors and not adversaries,” said Langwasser.

Still, tempers flared, and it took until 1 a.m. for Town Meeting to finish on Wednesday, March 15, but many residents said they feel comfortable that selectmen got the message.

“I think we’ve berated them enough,” said state Rep. Richard Kennedy. “I think we’ve given them plenty of juice, now let’s let them stew in it.”

Langwasser said it was obvious to him and other members of the board that there is a general mistrust between residents and selectmen, adding that more lines of communication must open for reconciliation to occur.

“It behooves each one of us on this board to try to improve this situation,” said Langwasser.

“One of my goals, this year as a selectman, is to do everything in my power to restore the trust, to restore that cooperative spirit and to move this town forward.”

Operating budget
The general municipal operating budget in Hopkinton was broken up into 10 of the 34 articles on this year’s warrant, each detailing an individual department’s expenses.

Budget committee Chairman Karen Irwin said under her committee’s advisement, selectmen cut their original proposed total operating budget from $5.5 million, a 7.28 percent increase, to $5.35 million, a roughly 4 percent increase.

She said based on a level assessment this year, she expects the tax rate to go down 17 cents.

That, said resident Al Bloomquist, wasn’t good enough.

“My view is we really need to examine the budget and pass only the necessities and not the nice to have things,” said Bloomquist. “In years past, I would vote on whatever selectmen recommended, but now I can no longer afford to employ that strategy.”

Bloomquist asked why selectmen didn’t warn residents of the impending tax crisis and wanted to know why selectmen were proposing an increase and not working toward a decrease.

He then suggested a $25,000 decrease to Article 4, which covers general government functions, explaining that selectmen have the ability, once all budget articles are passed, to cut the money from any area of the municipal government it chooses.

After a voice vote failed to provide a clear answer, a ballot vote was called for by moderator Gary Richardson.

The amendment passed by a two-to-one majority.

Article 4 then passed as amended.

Bloomquist submitted a similar $35,000 decrease to Article 6, the public works budget. Again, voice vote failed to reveal a clear answer, but this time Richardson requested a standing vote.

The amendment was rejected, 301-295 votes.

Selectmen Don Lane then explained that selectmen already cut much of the public works budget and were bound into increases in fuel, asphalt and other necessities.

The public works budget passed.

Public safety expenses Article 5, which covers public safety expenses, drew much debate.

Resident and budget committee member Dan Coen proposed a $41,000 decrease to the article because he said he didn’t want to pay for a new EMT/firefighter who was recently hired. He also said he didn’t want a full-time chief, which a detailed narrative in the town report seemed to imply.

Selectman Peter Russell said the town has no immediate plans to hire a full-time fire chief.

He explained that the board, rather than hiring a full-time chief at substantial cost, asked Deputy Chief John Pianka to take over code enforcement duties in town.

To ease the workload on Pianka and allow him to assume more administrative duties, the town hired a full-time EMT/firefighter at a much lower cost.

The motion to amend was rejected.

The public safety budget, however, was voted down after more questions arose about the potential for a new full-time fire chief, while others took issue with the decertification of a fulltime police chief in town with Chief David Wheeler retiring and moving to part-time.

The article was later reconsidered.

After many of those who opposed the article noted that they didn’t oppose the fire and police departments, but wanted to have more of a say and have a better understanding of town government, Carr proposed an amendment to strike the narrative that seemingly supported the town hiring a fire chief.

The town approved the public safety budget.

Senior center
Another article drawing debate was $12,436 to support the Slusser Senior Center’s operating budget.

After several residents questioned how the budgets were figured and where the money will go, others argued support of the senior center.

Residents approved the article and all other operating budget proposals.

Other articles
A petition warrant article, which asked residents to rescind $3,073,250, the remaining debt accrued through a 2003 conservation bond, failed by ballot vote, 286-104.

Other rejected petition articles include a proposal to limit the number of town employees to current staffing numbers and a request for selectmen to retain 5 percent of regular operating expenditures from annual surplus.

Residents vote to save recreation department

Bow Editor — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:57:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Voters chose not to cut the Hopkinton Recreation Department in the name of savings at Town Meeting. This comes despite the fact that residents spoke loud and clear on Election Day, when they voted selectmen Chairman Louise Carr out and brought in two members who have been outspoken against increased taxes.

At Town Meeting, on Wednesday, March 14, a ballot vote revealed residents still support their recreation department, opposing the petition by a vote of 394-228.

“I don’t think we should even consider getting rid of the recreation department,” said resident Jane Schoch.

“They do an awful lot for our youth and have a lot of activities for older adults. We need to support some of the fantastic things this department does for our town.”

Recreation Director Robert Mattes said his department has 620 registered participants, which doesn’t include those who don’t sign up, but go to the haunted house, Easter egg hunt, breakfast with Santa, and other activities.

But Joanie McIntire, who barely lost her bid for selectman, said she signed the petition to eliminate the recreation department.

“I think we need to have a serious discussion about needs and wants, and unfortunately, I think the recreation department is a want,” said McIntire.

She suggested a more selfsustaining program, paid for by activity fees rather than tax dollars.

Resident Romeo Dubreuil put forth the petitioned warrant article.

“Cutting the tax burden may not be easy, but it must be realized,” said Dubreuil.

“We need our schools, our public safety department, and our public safety, but we do not need a recreation department.”

Vernon Miller, however, said he is a volunteer for the recreation department and fully supports keeping it around, despite the many hours required of him and other volunteers.

“We bust our butts to make Hopkinton a more interesting place to live,” said Miller. “Is (the recreation department) a luxury? Yes. No one is debating that. But is this something that makes a lot of our lives nicer, and is it something we should keep? Absolutely.”

Carr explained the recreation department budget involves much more than just programs, including lifeguards for Kimball Pond, maintenance of several restrooms around town, lighting of ballfields and background checks on those who are hired and volunteer to work with town children.

Though residents voted to keep the recreation department, the matter of its operating budget still remained.

David Lancaster, budget committee member and founder of the Hopkinton/Contoocook Taxpayers Association, proposed cutting $20,360 from the recreation department’s budget.

But budget committee Chairman Karen Irwin said selectmen already cut out a summer day camp and part-time program coordinator.

Voters rejected the motion.

Another motion to cut the recreation department’s budget in half was also rejected.

After more debate, the full recreation department budget of $126,764 was approved.

Columbia Hall
Another petitioned article, dealing largely with the recreation department, requested the town close Columbia Hall, out of which the recreation department currently runs, within six months of the Slusser Senior Center opening.

The article was advisory in nature only.

John Carey, who submitted the article, said he supports the operating costs of the senior center, only if Columbia Hall is closed and all operating expenses for the recreation department are moved to the senior center.

“It is advisory in nature and meant to send a clear message to selectmen,” he said.

Carey first proposed an amendment to the article to add what he termed to be the original language, which he said was cut by selectmen.

The amendment was approved.

Residents then debated continuing to maintain Columbia Hall as opposed to holding onto it for its historic nature.

Dan Dustin wanted residents to think about what they were voting on before making a decision.

“My great-great-great-uncle Gilbert Dustin, was mustered into the Union Army during the Civil War in Columbia Hall, my father graduated from high school in Columbia Hall, and my wife sang on rollerskates in Columbia Hall,” said Dustin. “This is a historic building, and we need to know that before we dump it.”

Dustin and the majority of other residents got their way and the article failed.

Residents want spending curbed

Bow Editor — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 21:40:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

School district treasurer Arnold Coda and several other residents voiced displeasure with what they termed excessive spending by selectmen and the school board.

At the town and school district budget hearing on Jan. 24, roughly 200 Hopkinton citizens lined the bleachers at Hopkinton High School’s gymnasium.

“I’m tired of constant increases in expenses that lead to increased taxes,” said Coda. “There are many people in this town that can afford a tax increase, but I can’t. My family and I are struggling.”

The budget committee had requested a cap on increases of 3.8 percent from the town and school district, but the school’s proposed budget came in at an 8.18 percent increase, including the operating budget and warrant articles.

Selectmen, on the other hand, came in 1 percent above the suggested increase for its operating budget, and eliminated warrant articles and bonds from years past to create an overall decrease of 1 cent.

School district

The $15.14 million proposed operating budget represents a 4.99 increase, or $719,000 over last year’s budget of $14.42 million, but school board Chairman Marshall Rowe said the board anticipates

$689,000 in additional revenue to offset the tax rate.

“My goal tonight is to make sure everyone here has a clear understanding of the school district’s budget proposal,” said Rowe. “We have an obligation to present excellent educational programs and opportunities for town, but we also worked hard and make difficult choices and cuts in order to put forward the smallest tax impact possible.”

Rowe said his board took a conservative approach in assuming property values will not change, as opposed to the town, which assumed an increase is assessed valuation.

The $15.14 million proposed operating budget, after the projected revenue, results in a .21 percent net operating budget increase. This amounts to 2 cents per $1,000 property valuation, or $6 on a $300,000 home.

Uncontrollable costs, said Rowe, include contractual obligations, fuel, utilities, special education and a vocational agreement with Concord. Contracts and special education costs are $750,000 of the increase.

The budget will be partially offset by expected additional revenue, said Rowe, resulting in a net increase of $30,703.

Part of the plan is to charge more for school lunches to gain additional revenue.

“It was a difficult decision because Hopkinton is already high on student lunch costs, but the budget committee insisted that we find every possible revenue source,” he said.

The district is also laying off one second-grade teacher at Harold Martin Elementary to save money.
Coda, however, said the district could lay off six teachers at a savings of more than $300,000.

“That’s the kind of thinking I expect from my school board,” said Coda. “I want to you guys up there talking about decreases, not explaining increases.”

Resident Mary Carter defended the current staffing appropriation at district schools, saying she moved from Concord to Hopkinton for quality education for her children.

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Is cutting four to six teachers a worthy goal? I couldn’t let that stand without a defense,” said Carter.

“There is one main indicator that defines the difference between mediocre education and excellent education, and there no way to get around the benefit that students receive from additional interaction with qualified teachers.”

Superintendent Brian Blake said the district’s proposed budget is comparable with other districts of similar staffing levels and special education needs.

Warrant article

The school board is also proposing a warrant article to address facility needs, as outlined by a comprehensive study to recognize deficiencies in the district’s buildings.

The article asks voters to approve spending $527,000 for upgrades to two schools – replacing 49 windows, adding 30 parking spaces, and a new heating and air-conditioning ventilation system at Harold Martin School; and a new card-reader security system and modular classroom unit for the high school.

The school board will take $100,000 from the maintenance trust fund to offset the cost, decreasing the request to $427,000. Renovations will cost roughly 56 cents per $1,000 assessed value, or $168 on a $300,000 home. However, Rowe said the district expects a reduction to 50 cents per $1,000 assessed value because of additional revenues.

Responding to criticism about not bonding the renovations, Rowe said the district will save money in the long run by paying lump sum, rather than paying interest on a 10-year bond that would increase the cost 30 percent. But, resident Peter Yunich insisted the energy savings realized by new windows at Harold Martin could be used to decrease taxes.

“It’s easy to calculate investment in terms of lower energy costs, which would more than offset the interest costs of a bond,” said Yunich. “I want to know, ‘Have you done the homework?’”

The total proposed warrant, excluding anticipated revenue, represents an 8.18 percent tax increase.

The school district returns unspent money to offset the tax rate, Rowe said. But some residents, however, said the town and school district should calculate their numbers and increases from what is actually spent during the last fiscal year, rather than what was approved at Town and School District Meeting.

Rowe said that concept is unrealistic.

Town

Selectman Peter Russell said the budget committee directed that the town address every possible revenue source.

He said the board thought it beneficial to start with last year’s tax rate of $4.33 per $1,000 assessed property value and work to maintain the same rate. The total town budget is less than a 1 percent decrease over last year, said Russell.

“With all things we have proposed, with conservative fund balance usage, we feel we can maintain your tax rate at $4.33,” he said.

Resident Yunich openly disagreed with the selectmen’s approach.

“The issue isn’t the tax rate, It’s what we spend,” Yunich said to widespread approval by those in attendance. “If I hear one more time about all what a good job selectmen have done to decrease the tax rate by a cent I’ll do the town a favor and probably shoot myself.”

Russell said it was unfair that the town be blamed entirely for tax bills they send out, because overall taxes include school district, county and state costs as well.

During the budget process, the town had asked each department to submit three- to five-year plans.

“We found out we have a real group of progressive thinkers on the municipal side of government. So we took that narrative and the budget numbers they presented to us and, quite frankly, sat down and had a heart to heart and expressed that there may be some things they think they need, but we didn’t think they need,” Russell said.

The operating budget still shows an anticipated $372,000 increase, though Russell said the tax rate will drop 1 cent to $4.32, after a 14 percent decrease in warrant article requests from 2006.

One of the added costs is a full-time firefighter/EMT for $33,000.

Russell said because Hopkinton doesn’t have a full-time fire chief, the hiring of another full-time
employee for the fire department will allow Deputy Chief John Pianka to concentrate on administrative duties.

“It’s virtually impossible for him to make appointments with people and he often comes in on his off days to handle administrative duties, because he knew he wouldn’t have to be on a fire truck or ambulance on those days.”

The move will also allow Pianka to take on the role of code enforcement officer, a position the town would have to fill if it didn’t hire a new EMT to handle some of Pianka’s field duties.

It will also prevent the town from having to hire a full-time fire chief at a considerably higher cost, said Russell.

In addition, the town will hire a part-time assistant to recreation director Robert Mattes.

Coda, however, criticized selectmen for allowing the recreation department to morph from a part-time, self-funded program to a $147,348 expense to the town.

“I think we need to get rid of recreation department in total,” Coda said. “I don’t see why this should be done at taxpayers’ expense. If people want a recreation department, it should be funded privately through private sources.”

Resident Diane LaChance also brought up the Slusser Senior Center, which was destroyed by arsonist Jan. 15.

Selectmen said the center will cost the town up to $33,000 to run and maintain.

LaChance said she would like to see the operating costs for the senior center put on a separate article so residents can vote accordingly.

Russell said residents have a chance to adjust the operating budget at Town Meeting.

Tax burden

Bow Editor — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 20:38:00 GMT

Little Nature Museum may be forced to relocate

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Eric and Sue Leadbeater, owners of Gould Hill Orchards, aren’t the only ones who may be affected by the town of Hopkinton’s inability to find a partner with when to purchase the land.

Sandra Martin, who founded the nonprofit Little Nature Museum in 1954, said she would be devastated if she had to close the museum she started when only 13 years old.

The museum has grown significantly over time and recently found a home in the old barn at Gould Hill Orchards.

The Leadbeaters, who were trying to work out a sale to the town with the Hopkinton open space committee, are being forced to take immediate action after his tax bill went up from $22,320 to $72,540 this year.

The raise, said Leadbeater, was due primarily to a view tax being placed on a small cottage on the land rather than on the orchard land, which is under current use. The cottage is not eligible for current use relief.

“It’s extremely upsetting, this whole thing, because we have grown so much since the museum opened up over five years ago (at Gould Hill), and the future looked very bright. And not just immediate, but long range as well, in terms of having some kind of environmental or nature center and nature trail to help people learn to interact and work with nature,” Martin said.

“The bottom line is (the Leadbeaters) feel very confident at this point that there is nobody in the town itself that will help this situation. It would have to come from outside sources.” Still, Martin said she trusts the Leadbeaters to continue making sound decisions.

“I know for a fact that the museum was always a consideration in their mind,” she said.

“I don’t know how they could have done any better and they have always kept me informed throughout the whole process.”

But Martin said there was a noticeable and definite change in Leadbeater’s tone from when he met with the museum’s board of directors in the past compared to when he spoke at the board’s annual meeting Oct. 23.

“I didn’t expect anything this momentous to happen so soon,” said Martin. “People in this town seem rather short-sighted given the longevity and importance of the orchard in Hopkinton.”

Being located on a working orchard, said Martin, has been invaluable because it provides the opportunity to show visitors that people can still work with nature and make a living.

Eric Leadbeater pointed out that while the museum is not charged for setting up shop on his property, he feels it is a natural fit.

“We have the old 1810 barn that doesn’t lend itself toward modern material handling, so much of the barn that was used for storage in the past was here for (Martin’s) use,” he said.

“Because she was casting about for a place to be, and I have interest in science and nature and I’ve always been intrigued by some of our forest land here, she was someone who was willing to help set up some nature trails, which I’ve always wanted to have here.

“It’s been a nice fit and they are a nonprofit, so it’s a win-win for both of us.”

Still, the on-property buildings may become expendable should the orchards be sold.

“Let’s face it, the value of this land here makes most of these buildings here tear-downs,” said Leadbeater. “We hope this barn stays here, and if it does, I’m sure they will be happy to stay in it.”

Should the museum be forced out of the barn, however, Martin said its future looks bleak.

“I guess we would have to move out of that barn and we might have to move into storage if someone buys the barn and the house. We wouldn’t have any option but to move out,” she said. “I’m 65 years old, and I don’t intend to pick up and move somewhere else, and I don’t think I can go through the process of finding a new location again, which is the part that really has me troubled.”

Rather than storing, which could become costly, or disposing of its paraphernalia, Martin said the museum’s state registration dictates that should it decide to close, all contents be donated to other nonprofit organizations.

The museum also recently spent more than $1,000 on two highway signs, which Martin said could turn into wasted money if forced to close or move.

Even in the off-chance that another farmer decides to maintain the museum, Martin acknowledged there would still be hurdles ahead.

“We would definitely stay open; there’s no question about it, although we would have to work with a different farmer in terms of our different goals and hopefully come to a common ground just as we did with the Leadbeaters,” she said.

Though she doesn’t have the money to build or rent a building, with some help, Martin may be able to set up a new location, though it would have to be in Hopkinton.

“One thing I have learned is wherever the museum is, I cannot be far away from it because it requires so much volunteer time,” she said. “From a financial standpoint, it doesn’t matter, because, quite frankly, I have never really made any money off the museum anyway, but it’s pretty devastating in terms of my emotional and personal well-being.”

One of the best aspects of the location, said Martin, is the people who return each year to pick apples and enjoy the museum.

This year, the museum had more than 2,500 visitors. “I feel that the museum is not only a resource to the local community, but also to the entire area because people come from all over to visit the orchards and museum,” she said. “The museum is certainly only a small part, but I feel that it augments the orchard and the orchard augments us, and it’s not far from Concord, so it’s convenient for a lot of people to come and learn about nature.”

If the Little Nature Museum is forced to close, Martin said it is the educational aspect and one-on-one interaction she will miss most.

“That’s my pay; that is where the pay comes, especially with the kids,” she said. “It’s a delight and award for my time to have kids get excited and ask questions and be interested; there is nothing better.”

Shock over Hopkinton tax bills

Bow Editor — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:21:00 GMT

By Ryan O’Connor
Staff Writer

Donald Gleason gasped for air when he opened his latest tax bill.

His four-room, 720-square-foot home jumped in assessed value from $114,600 to $210,700.

Even though he is receiving a $500 veterans tax credit and $395 in elderly tax exemptions, the 78-year-old Hopkinton resident stared blankly at a four-digit number $2,277 triple last year’s bill of $790.

“Both my wife and I are retired, living on Social Security and not much more than that,” he said. “So, to get hit with nearly $2,300, when you’re expecting only an $800 tax bill, is really quite a surprise.”

After a total budgetary increase of more than $1.5 million between the town and school district and a recent reassessment of property value, Hopkinton residents, including Gleason, are in an uproar over their new tax bills.

Sue Strickford, tax collector and town clerk for Hopkinton, said since bills were sent out Oct. 10, she has received more than 500 unhappy phone calls and walk-ins.

“They started right away because they felt we had made a mistake,” she said. “I think it’s a shock to begin with because their assessments have drastically increased and they think something is wrong. So, when we tell them it isn’t wrong, that the tax rate is such and their portion is such, they get angry.”

Strickford said her initial reaction when residents call or walk in to complain, is to tell them to get an assessment card so they can see what is being assessed and how. And then, if their rate isn’t clarified, to get an abatement form, which residents can use to tell selectmen what they feel is an unfair assessment.

The form, she said, starts the appeal process and is a baseline for selectmen to use when reviewing appeals.

Gleason, for instance, said 50 percent of his 1.7-acre property is unusable wetland and he doesn’t think his small home will sell at the assessed value. His neighbor, Gleason said, has a significantly larger home on better land and received about $224,000 for their recently sold property.

“I can’t dispute the amount that is taxed because that’s going to go up every year, but it’s the revaluation that gets me,” Gleason said. “I would like to know how they arrived at that because I have a very small home out in the woods and nobody is going to pay me that kind of money.

“The assessment should be just below the actual value of the house, but a $97,000 jump? No thank you!”

Should residents be denied through the abatement process, Strickford said they would then have to go to the state Board of Land and Tax Appeals.

Following a 2004 revaluation, Strickford said the town was bringing assessments up from 88 percent equalized ratio to 100 percent, concerning the current market of the homes.

The net assessed valuation jumped from $620,335,819 in 2005 to $768,237,052 this year.

That, added with a net town appropriation increase from $2,827,794 to $3,328,096, and a school district increase from $12,040,575 to $13,012,247, has residents up in arms.

Even with a 2.5 percent tax rate decrease, this year’s tax rate came out to $21.05 per $1,000 assessed property value, in contrast to the 2005 rate of $23.61.

But David Lancaster, co-founder of the Hopkinton/Contoocook Taxpayers Association, said residents can only blame themselves because they start every Town and School District Meeting with a zero balance and vote on how they want to spend their tax dollars.

“This is not an assessment problem. This is a spending problem in town,” Lancaster said. “When you have a $1.5 million increase and you only have 3,000 homes, do the math. You’re going to have an average increase of about $500 per home.”

Lancaster, who is also a member of the budget committee, said residents should be more careful when voting.

“Don’t blame the assessor. Don’t blame the tax collector. Don’t blame the selectmen and don’t blame the school board. Blame yourselves,” he said.

Lancaster said the school board, selectmen and budget committee only recommend a budget, but it is the residents who determine how much is spent.

“We are paying for our wants, not our needs and I think a lot of people don’t understand the difference between the two,” he said. “People like to complain, but they don’t like to get involved. So, hopefully, this will stir people up.”

Strickford said she is worried about the many residents who may struggle financially because of the increase.

“I’m really concerned with the elderly and the effect that these bills will have on them,” Strickford said. “You fear they will have to forgo their medicine or their food to pay their bills, so that’s my main concern. But, I think the town will do what it can to help.

“The board of selectmen doesn’t want to force these people out of their homes, so they are either going to have to abate their taxes or set up some sort of fund to help them.”

Gleason shares Strickford’s concern.

“You tell me what we are suppose to cut back on because I don’t know either,” he said. “We’re either going to have to take it out of the bank or cut way back, but it’s got to come from somewhere.”

While some residents threatened to pick up and move, Gleason said he and his wife are comfortable where they live and are unwilling to relocate.

“I might be forced into it if it keeps going like this, but would I consider moving? No, or at least I hope not,” he said.

Still, Gleason said the town, and especially Strickford and Nancy Skeldon of the assessor’s office, have made the process much easier.

“They’ve been absolutely fantastic with me,” he said. “I was absolutely off the wall and they handled me just wonderfully.”